


Of Lies and Fantasies

by XtremeManiac33



Category: Final Fantasy IX
Genre: Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Disc 1, Disc 2, Enigmatic Strangers, Eventual Change in Events, Gen, Injured Character, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Potential Romance, Self-Insert, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-19 08:11:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 398,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7352941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XtremeManiac33/pseuds/XtremeManiac33
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blake has a broken hand and is the brains of the duo. Alyssa is capable enough to fight for the both of them. He only wants to go home through any means necessary. She wants to help her new friends in any way she can. "They" have other plans for the two of them. Zidane and the others don't need to know and are caught in the crossfire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What Happens When You Complain About The Rain

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Prologue: What Happens When You Complain About The Rain

You guys know how most people spend their summer vacations, right? Most people chill at home, lounge right in front of the TV and indulge themselves in all sorts of junk food. Sometimes, they would go to the mall, or other places located publicly, and hang out with their friends. Mine is somewhat different. If I could I'd write a book on how to correctly spend your summer vacation, but seeing that I lack the professional skills for such a thing I'd rather keep it to myself.

Let me tell you about myself before this story goes on. My name is Blake Skylark, I am the youngest of my family and I still go to school as a 7th grader with no goals extending to the far future. My most telling characteristic is that I have the rottenest of lucks in human history. I even have a broken right hand to prove it. My luck is worse than that woman who was the first to be hit by a meteorite, even worse than the guy who got struck by lightning seven times, and EVEN worse than the guy who happened to be in the same place when the atomic bomb was dropped.

TWICE.

Anyway, back to the story. Summer vacation just began a few weeks ago and I spent it the way any normal teenager would: sleeping. I was catching up on my sleep, something I needed after the very stressful year I just had. Said stress was attributed to my downfallen luck, as always.

I was awakened by a knock on my door. It happened when the afternoon sky started to seep into the horizon, meaning I was asleep for most of the day.

"What?" I groaned through my pillow.

"Are you ready?" The voice that spoke through the door sounded somewhat annoyed.

"Ready for what?"

"For the surprise trip." What surprise trip?

I only rolled in bed, putting my back towards the door. My silence somewhat hinted what the voice's suspicions were, so only a confirmation would suffice. The next thing I know, the door to my room opened and a slim figure walked in with her hands at her hips:

My older sister, Nina.

"I could see that you're beyond ready." She sighed as she shook her head at me. I tried to pull my bed's covers up to my head and continue sleeping, but my sister was determined to pull me out of bed even if it meant physically touching me.

"Leave me alone." I said upon my bedsheets being pulled away from me by my sister.

"You have to get ready now or you're going to be running around the house tomorrow, scrambling to get everything done." My big sister warned.

"Then I'll scramble tomorrow." I replied after I put myself underneath the protective covering of my bedsheets once again.

She could only sigh once again before exiting my room, only to come back in with a bag on wheels and placed it right beside my bed before leaving again. Once I was sure that she wasn't coming back in again, I pushed the covers away and sat up. I was now fully awake since I was disturbed from my slumber. Plus, the itch underneath my right hand's cast was starting to annoy me.

The trip she mentioned had been offhandedly spoken about here and there in the span of a week. Nothing had been revealed about it aside from it being a surprise and that it included friends. I was invited to it, unfortunately for me. Sometimes, Nina would talk about it on the phone with her friends, often excitedly from how it sounds. Guess they were looking forward to it.

I decided to humor my sister by pulling some clothes out of my closet to put in my bag. These included some shirts, pants, shorts, underwear, socks; the basic clothing needs of someone engaging in an event that needed them to be outdoors.

With no helpful knowledge about this trip, I went around my room and gathered my needed belongings that helps avoid boredom: PSP, MP3, and cell phone. While I did this, I noticed the mess that could be identified as my room.

Clothes sprawled on the floor, wires of phone and MP3 chargers tangled up all around my computer desk, PS1 and PS2 controller wires caught up with my Xbox 360 headset that made a bigger mess. Of course, my bed, which was occupied by me just a few seconds ago, looked like a tornado barreled over it. My room looked like a disaster area, one that hasn't been quarantined yet.

"I'll clean that up later." And by later I mean after I get home from the trip. I plugged in my three electronic devices, which took a while to do because they were all knotted up in a big ball of wires, and spent the rest of day trying to figure out what to do.

Going out of the house was out of the question. I was beyond ready. I just got out of bed and the day was already in the afternoon. It would be dark by the time I get to someplace interesting. Staying indoors would be the most ideal idea I could come up with. But that still left me with nothing to do.

Playing videogames would probably suffice. Xbox 360? My friends would probably be online at this time, but I really don't want to bombard my ears with explosions and mindless chatter from underdeveloped beings called pre-pubescent children. PS2? The only games I play there are Kingdom Hearts and Persona 4. Dungeon crawling and level grinding is not the most ideal way to start your day. PS1? Hmm… Maybe we can do something with that.

Opening the lid of the console, I was greeted by a game that I haven't seen in a while: Final Fantasy IX, disc 2 to be exact. Huh. When was the last time I played this? Probably sometime in the previous week. I know I've played this to death long ago, but I don't feel like playing this today. Well, good-bye FFIX, hello Tetris Plus. I chucked the disc over my shoulder and popped in my chosen game, then played it.

Over the course of the next 12 hours, I played various games, changed consoles, went up in the internet and downloaded some videos, ate, noisily tapped the keys on our family piano – to my sister's annoyance— and wandered around the dark hallways of my house. Overall, I stayed up all night after a lengthy sleep. Take a guess what happened next.

I was yawning, eyes ready to drop, the feeling of exhaustion trying to overwhelm me and I was being forced to wait outside of my house. Dressed in a white collared long sleeved shirt, black vest, red tie, dark brown jacket and blue jeans; I looked like a door-to-door salesman who was just notified that he got the boot.

"If you sleep right now it'll be impossible for me to wake you up." Nina said as she locked the door behind her, her bag packed with her necessities standing right beside her. I was leaning on mine, struggling to stay awake. "At least you packed."

"Ain't that a great accomplishment." I yawned. Sitting on the welcome doormat was the closest thing I could get as a bed with my tall rolling bag as my pillow. I tried napping there with the cold winds of dawn blowing over me. At least my jacket helped warm me up.

I could hear Nina's heels pace in front of me, her fingers constantly connecting with the dial pad on that old phone of hers, her words variably consisting of "Where are they?" and "What's taking them so long?" I was too busy staying awake to mind her.

While she was still busy checking her phone, I heard a very distant screeching of wheels as I tried nodding off. Was this our ride? Turns out it was. Nina was somewhat excited to see a seemingly familiar vehicle turn to our street. It was a big, white SUV, and weirdly enough, it was flashing its headlights as if sending a signal. It could probably fit eight people in. The car stopped in front of our house and some of its occupants exited to greet us.

"Sorry for the wait." The girl that exited the passenger's side said. I've seen her before. She's one of Nina's closest friends. "Someone didn't remember to wake up early."

She was referring to the guy who came out of the driver's seat. He was taller than your average person and looked like could swat a flying basketball out of the air. "Maybe next time you drive."

The two girls then chatted, possibly regarding the trip we were going to and what route to take. I just muted their voices out as they talked since the last thing I wanted to do was listen in on whatever they are talking about. God knows that every conversation girls have has something to do about accessories, hot fashion trends and the latest hunk of the day.

Anyways, all I wanted was to fall asleep somewhere soft and cozy and drown out the girl talk with an orchestra. I dragged my bag towards the car, making the large man look at me. "Hey. You Nina's brother?"

"Yes." I didn't know the guy, but if he wants to make small talk then I'll indulge in a bit of small talk. "Blake Skylark."

"Lionel Stanton." We shook hands. Actually calling his hands 'hands' would not justify the size of those things. "Have I seen you before?" I could only shrug my shoulders. A lot of people see other people, even if they are not paying attention. "Anyway, nice to meet you."

Lionel was, like me, not looking forward to this trip. His girlfriend, who I assume was the girl talking with Nina, notified him of his role in this trip as the designated driver just a few days ago. This only happened because he had a big car. And he tells me that he had planned to surprise his parents with a visit that would take him a day's drive. Poor guy. At least his parents were always home.

As we conversed, the door of the other passengers opened and out came three more people. One was a kid with a PSP in his hands, the other was a brown-haired girl I didn't know, and the last one was someone I actually knew. "Dude!"

That was a friendly signal. I popped my head around the car and saw him. Andrew King, my best friend. "Over here." I raised my hand as I walked up to him with my bag rolling behind me. "Don't be so loud or you'll wake up the neighbors."

"Well, you can't start your day without WAKING UP!" If you needed more indication, he yelled out those last two words, making the others on our yard look at him. I palmed my face in embarrassment. "So, how's it been dude? Haven't seen you in days."

"Isn't that the purpose of summer vacation? You don't get to see your friends." I deadpanned.

"Aw, c'mon." He then wrapped one arm around my shoulders forcefully, almost sending me toppling down to the grass, but good thing he had a grip on my shoulders. "Without me, you won't last a day."

"And what do you call what I've been doing for the past few weeks?" Andrew only chuckled at my question. He was always like that, being the guy who enjoys spending his time with friends, maybe a bit too much.

During the times this trip was mentioned to me, I was told to invite some friends that could come along. Only one was available. The others had other pressing issues to deal with, which were none of my business. Andrew agreed to come along. He was always available.

"Quite a car, eh?" Andrew was always interested in cars. He liked that British show Top Gear and that sparked his interest. Me? Not a big fan. I could only shrug in indifference.

"Speaking of car, what do you think of the people you rode with?" We both didn't know who these people were, so any information I could get from my friend, who at least spent some time with them during their drive here, would do me a big help. How? Well, for starters I don't want to get on their bad sides.

Andrew leaned towards me, trying to act secretively as if he's telling me something he didn't want the others to hear. "First off, the driver." Lionel. "He's pretty calm. Mellow dude, even when he was getting grilled by that redhead over there." He must be talking about the first girl. Note to self: Stay away from her.

"Go on."

"The kid's quiet. He thoroughly enjoys his games. Not a very chatty kid." I could tell. He's very much immersed in his PSP. "She's very friendly." Andrew pointed to the other girl. "We talked for quite a while. I'm sure I could get a date if I tried."

"Anything else?"

"One more thing. There was a guy snoozing on the back. Loudly, I might add." And with that, the briefing was finished. There was only one person, two if I count the sleeping guy, which I need to look out for or possibly stay away from. You don't know if or when they'll—

"HEY! ARE WE LEAVING OR WHAT!?"

…explode.

That was from the last person to come out of the car. He had bed hair, despite sleeping in the car, and looked horrible. Someone really needs to hose him down. I could tell that his behavior isn't getting any rave reviews from the others; even the kid looked up from his game, rolled his eyes, shook his head in disgust and went back to playing. I am going on a limb here and guess that they are related.

"Don't worry about him." The friendly girl Andrew was talking about must've seen my terrified-for-a-moment expression when Mr. Personality here popped out, so she came up to us and offered us some reassuring words. "He's harmless."

"If you say so." I'll call her out on it immediately if it turns out she's wrong.

Soon enough, Nina announced that it was time to leave. Lionel helped us load the bags into the car and we were placed into our seats. The car was able to fit eight people, two in the front and six at the back. That was unless the passengers were uber-thin, then we could fit eight in the back.

Lionel stayed up in front with the newly awakened passenger named Ramon. Nina, Lionel's girlfriend Miranda, and the kid named Zack sat in the middle. Andrew, the friendly girl named Alyssa and I were placed at the back. It was a good thing I was sitting near a window. The bad news was I had this totally unknown girl next to me. Well at least I had some sort of entertainment on me with my mp3 and PSP.

That was my plan until she started talking to me.

"What happened to your hand?"

Oh that. She pointed to my cast-wrapped right hand. My drowsiness must have made me forget about it. "It's broken."

"I could see that."

"I didn't mean to insult your skills of observation. And it's actually the wrist that's broken."

"How did it happen?"

It was one of those days. I removed my earphones and began telling her the story. "I was the water boy at a basketball game just a month ago—"

"He just signed up on that day." Andrew interrupted.

"Thanks for the input, Andrew," I looked over to him and see him smiling. "Anyway—"

"It was my idea."

"Thank you, Andrew." There was more force in my voice as I gave him a look. "So, the game was at the school of the other team. Our team was struggling to get the lead in the third quarter because of one of the other team's key players, a very big guy, good defender and quick for his size. They can't get through him and they were getting desperate. During one of the plays, one of the guys plows through one of the other team's and a foul wasn't called. This sparked a fight between the two and the rest of both teams had to separate them."

"Wow." Alyssa was obviously getting hooked into the story.

"If that wasn't enough, the crowd got riled up and went crazy. They basically rioted. I got caught up in the chaos that I didn't notice the hulking center of the home team lift me up and threw me. I landed badly, heard the crack, and wailed like a child."

"So that's where I recognized you!" I hear Lionel say from the front of the vehicle. "I play for the team, man. You were the wailing waterboy with the messed up wrist that had to be helped out." Great, I've been recognized. You know you don't have it made when you're recognized as 'the wailing waterboy'.

I heard Andrew chuckling on his side of the car. When asked what was funny, he said, "It kinda sounds like a joke, until you see the cast."

"Why would someone just throw another person?" The girl asked.

"I dunno. Must be the steroids they were feeding him affecting his brain functions." Now that was an appropriate time to chuckle, or even laugh, which Alyssa did.

"I think I've heard of that thing before. Probably from the school newspaper."

"Hmm. Probably…" And that was where the drowsiness hit. I excused myself from the conversation, put my earphones on and slept with a soft lullaby playing on repeat.

Over the course of a few hours, the car maintained a fast pace in the highway we were traveling on. I would wake up a few times, seeing the terrain change from about 8 lanes of asphalt to four with a number of farms in the background to a bushy forest-esque place. We stopped once at a rest stop due to the insistent requests of Ramon, who failed to empty his bladder before the start of this trip. There we stocked up on food and gas and continued down the road.

The others were quite chatty and loud as the trip went on. I could hear laughing, stories being shared and various conversation topics discussed between them as I continuously drifted between consciousness and dreamland. Andrew could be heard telling jokes amongst the people we barely knew, Miranda dishing some dirt on her professors, Lionel sharing some of his personal experience in basketball and Ramon recalling one of his pranks. So he's a prankster, eh?

Flat asphalt was replaced with bumpy roads that probably have not been repaired for years. A bump in the road sent me flying making my head hit the roof. It was funny for a moment, until it happened to Ramon, who told everyone else put to on their seatbelts. Soon enough, we got out of Bumpy City and into a much better road.

Time passed while I enjoyed what sleep I could get. Maybe it was a good decision for me to stay up all night. I know I don't enjoy long drives in a car filled with people, especially if I knew more about them than my sister, which amounts to the equal space in a brochure. Andrew enjoys a situation like this, not me. I often wonder why he still hangs around me.

But despite all of that, I have this little bit of hope in me that I would enjoy this place we were going; A small part of me wants this thing to be something I'll like.

Nobody has said a word about it while I was awake. Perhaps only a few people here know about it. If it's a surprise to all of us, then I hope it'll be a good one.

"Whoa!"

The word echoed as the car suddenly went from a leisurely drive a la Jeremy Clarkson to James May levels of slowness. I jolted awake as the driver apologized for almost giving everyone whiplash.

"We're almost there. Just a few more minutes." That was Ramon sounding excited. Some of the passengers also shared his sentiments. Zack even took a glance of the road ahead of us.

"Hey," Andrew looked like he heard someone kick a puppy. "Whatever you do, keep calm."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Trust me. Just enjoy today like it was the first time you started living. Calm and easy..."

As Andrew rambled on, I looked over to Alyssa and see her shaking her head looking somewhat uncomfortable. What is happening? I look over to the middle, where I had a clear view of where we were going. As soon as my eyes managed to send the visual signal to my brain, they widened in both surprise and anger.

And with that, the little hope of me enjoying this trip died.

It was a beach. The sun, some sand and salty ocean water; filled with people playing around in the skimpiest of attires just to show off their attractive assets or to cool off in the sea in a warm day like this because they can't afford a swimming pool. I just realized it at that moment that that was the destination. It was the last place I wanted to be in.

"Alright! Time to get wet!" Funny, I can't do that. I was morally obligated to avoid such a scenario because of the contract I signed with my broken right wrist.

The car was then parked and everyone got off in a can't-wait-to-make-sand-angels manner that they almost tripped over each other. I was the only one who didn't want to get out of the car.

"Hey," I looked to the door and saw Alyssa of all people trying to get me out of this car. "You alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright? Right now, I'm as offended as Napoleon being called short."

"He IS short."

"Shorter than the guys he was painted with!" My voice rose over such a trivial thing. "I'm gonna call for a cab, give the driver a hundred bucks and tell him to get me away from here."

Alyssa climbed into the car after I said that. Andrew was right behind her, but he didn't get in. "C'mon, you don't have to mope in here just because you can't swim."

"Yeah." Andrew said from outside. "You can do it in your room in there." He pointed to the small structure everyone else was going to.

"I'm so glad you're helping." I said sarcastically. "You know, they could have told me that we were going to a beach before we left. I could have stayed at home instead."

"But you wouldn't be having fun if you stayed behind." Alyssa tried to put this whole thing in a positive light, but staying home had a lot of positive possibilities too.

"I'd have TONS of fun. Videogames, internet, cable, house parties, and that's just counting off from one hand." Because I can't count with the other one.

She put her hands on my cast, looked at me with convincing determination and said, "I once met a guy in one of my karate classes. He had a younger brother who was crippled because of a robbery-gone-wrong."

"And he took up defense classes so it never happens to him." I interrupted her, hoping that the clichéd story ends there.

"No, that's not the point. The point is, the younger brother moved on in regards to his injury. He didn't let it hinder him from doing anything like participating in special marathons, sky diving, and going to the beach." I'm pretty sure she just put that last one to encourage me. And it was working.

"Is there a slight chance that this 'younger brother' had a broken hand?"

"He's paralyzed from the waist down." Well that was depressing to hear.

All of us were silent for a moment, contemplating about this younger brother and his horrible condition and how I didn't need to know about it. "And what do you get out of this?" I broke the silence with a question.

"It kinda makes me happy to help people out." She smiled. "Now come on. Do you still want to call that cab?"

"No." I scoffed. "I'm not gonna let a kid in a wheelchair show me up." With that, the two of us got out of the SUV and on to the sand. Just the feeling of sand underneath my shoes made me feel uneasy, with the ocean as a backdrop was not making it better. The cheerfulness of the others was not making it better.

Even as I walk on this grainy surface, I feel that nothing could insult me more than an invitation to swim. Unless they were blind or stupid, they should avoid saying that to someone with a cast. Hell, any person in a cast should never be near any body of water ever. My blood is still boiling that I could tell.

"Is he alright?" I heard a soft voice speak beside us. It was Zack, the PSP playing kid. What does he mean by that? I don't have anything against water; I just don't want it on me.

"Nothing short of traumatized." Alyssa jokingly responded.

Zack pressed most of his hand on his face upon hearing this and sighed. "My brother thought this would be funny." Who? "My brother, Ramon." He pointed to the teenager cracking jokes with Nina and Lionel, who weren't sharing his sense of humor.

"Your brother is an ass." Well said, Alyssa. Even Zack agrees.

Well, at least I know now who did it. I couldn't do anything to him now, but let's just save that in the 'grudge corner' and schedule my revenge soon. Before I could start on that, Nina and Lionel began telling us that they divided the group into two because there were two rooms available for us. Lionel, Miranda, Ramon and Nina were going stay in one room while the rest, meaning me, Alyssa, Andrew and Zack, were occupying the other.

"And get comfy. We'll be here for three days, so you guys better find your sleeping space." Three days? This is worse. "Our other friends will be arriving soon and we'll fit some of them in if there's space." Someone just push me into the sea and let me drown. I just want to be out of here.

Settling down on the white-sheet covered bed in the room I was assigned, I found it hard not to think about the ocean when it's just half a mile away outside. Andrew, Zack and Alyssa dropped their bags right beside the bed and took a look around of the room. It wasn't bad looking. Decorated with sea shells and painted with an underwater theme, the room was hospitable and spacious. There was a bed opposite to the front door and porch and a TV set the size of an average computer monitor. The bathroom connected our room with the other room, which was a good idea to put one big set of people under one roof in two rooms. It's only bad news when one of each other's groups had to use the bathroom. Something that came as a surprise to me was that we had an air-conditioned room.

It seems like I'm drowning already.

Andrew commented about the room's interior design, which made me want to sock him with my casted right hand. At least the bed didn't have water in it; the only saving grace of this below-average room.

"Dibs on the bed!" Zack and Andrew almost declared simultaneously. They both barely missed me as they dived onto the bed and sighed relaxingly with their faces snuggling with the pillows. Hearing such jolliness right now was grating.

"You can fit three people here, you know." Andrew informed me.

"If you don't mind the sausage-fest, then I'll be the third." I said while I stood near the foot of the bed.

"Sausage-fest?" Bless your innocent mind, Zack. Good thing your brother has not yet corrupted your soul.

"Where am I going to sleep? On the floor?" Alyssa reacted negatively to our agreement.

"Yes." The three of us said; mine sounding monotone compared to the two's response. Obviously, she disagreed, and she made it evident by mumbling something about children.

The first hour of our first day there consisted of us lounging around and resting, the latter we deserved more after being on the road for hours. Everyone in the room I was in was busy rearranging the insides of their bags, checking if they did bring what they needed. You know things like sunscreen, goggles, the upper half of their bikini. I know there was one thing I didn't bring with me: my swimming shorts.

Yes, I'm still butt hurt about being in a beach. I know I sound like a dope complaining about something he didn't order for. If I was of age, I'd drink my sorrows away like any other average human being with a problem. Actually, I am, but that's not the point.

As time passed, I noticed that the sky was getting darker. Strange, because last night the weather man said that it would be sunny all day today. There weren't much clouds forming earlier too. Some of the people hanging around the beach noticed it too and decided to call it a day. Ramon noticed it too, pointing it out that they should go swimming while few of the visitors were leaving. There were about to agree, until the Chinese food arrived.

"Sweet!" I heard Lionel's voice from the other room declare. Without missing a beat, Andrew and his always empty stomach rushed out of the door to greet the delivery guy and help lighten his load. Everyone was eating their respective box of Chinese food out on the porch, which I was inclined to join because I don't want the room smelling like noodles and chicken dumplings. We took our time with our food with the sole exception of Ramon, who didn't care for basic swimming logic as he raced to the ocean with his small box in hand, ready to swim in his shorts. I heard Miranda call him an idiot under her breath. I once again agree.

I stared into the small container in my hands after I was done. It barely had anything in it, just some tiny bits of meat and the often missed noodle in the corner. I had nothing to do but mope around the porch and in my assigned room. That was the plan I had thought of as I disposed of the box, yet that changed when Zack approached me with a big black bag.

"Can you help me with this?" Help with what? "My PS1." Apparently, a small bird told him that I had a PS1 and that certain bird must have suggested that I can help putting it in working order. I only agreed to help him out because, 1) He has a lousy brother, and 2) I had nothing to do.

It took me about 5 minutes to connect the right wires to the TV from the console and insert the controllers on their respective ports. With one press of a button, the Sony Computer Entertainment logo appeared on the screen.

"Thanks." You should be thanking me for not being like your dick of a brother. "Do you want to play?"

"No thanks. I'll just wallow in self-pity over there." I said pointing to the bed. Getting on it and crawling over a magazine reading Andrew, I plopped down on a pillow with a sigh. Also, I kicked Andrew hard enough to send him over the floor. I saw that grin he had on his face and I knew that he was the one who opened his mouth about my owning of a PS1. This sent him into a laughing fit.

"No rough housing, children." Alyssa warned us with a wag of her finger. She was answered by a chorus of 'Yes, Mom'. Alyssa knelt down in front of her bag and grabbed something before excusing herself from the room once again and entered the bathroom.

I was too occupied in my own troubles to comment about this, or too busy suffocating Andrew's laughter with a pillow to even care. Zack didn't notice what was happening behind him as he launched a missile towards Tiny in a game of Crash Team Racing.

"You having fun?" I sarcastically asked Andrew as I forced the pillow on his face.

"More fun than you'll ever have!" That just makes me want to choke you more. "At least I'll be able to enjoy this place even more than you."

"Don't you dare rub it in," I told him, pulling the pillow away from his face, letting him breathe in the sea salt in the air.

"At least you get to spend most of your time in an air conditioned room with a Playstation hooked up to the TV."

"What's 10 feet of space ever good for? Plus, I doubt Zack has any good games."

As if on cue, Zack pushed the bag his PS1 was in earlier towards us and looked over his shoulder. "Here's my games." He nodded, as if answering me unconsciously if I could see what his games were. I opened the bag and found various CD cases with the cover pictures of various games. Zack only brought a few with him, but he sure brought games that would probably last until we leave.

The bad side of this: you could only count the games he brought with one hand. Let's name them, shall we. Crash Team Racing, Spyro: Ripto's Rage, a Tomb Raider game, Final Fantasy IX and Tetris. Okay, you can count the discs with both hands, but the number of games still uses one hand only.

Andrew saw the Final Fantasy IX case and immediately picking it up. "Don't you have a copy of this back home?" I nodded as I looked at the Tomb raider game with interest. "Didn't you play the hell out of that game too?" Another nod from me.

"Really now?" We both turned our heads to the bathroom door and saw Alyssa, who changed into a bikini top and shorts combo. "I used to play Final Fantasy IX too." She rubbed the back of her head, probably thinking why she's the only one who wanted to go for a swim. One moment later, she asks. Her two able-bodied roommates just shrugged while I raised my casted right hand. "Sorry about that."

Sometimes, people are so insensitive to others that they don't know they actually were until you point it out.

"Somehow I find that surprising." I said.

"About what?" Regarding you playing Final Fantasy IX. "Oh that. I used to play it all the time. Finished it about three times; the third being a 100% run."

Who was she trying to impress by saying that? That could only mean you have a lot more free time than most people. If you wanted to impress, then you should have said you did it on Mt. Everest.

"No need to be such a jerk about it." Andrew whispered to me. I think I might have mumbled some of that out loud, but it seems Alyssa didn't hear it as she went for her bag again. "Anyway, I'm gonna get changed too." Now my best friend was leaving me for the ocean. Thanks for being there when I needed you, pal.

With Andrew gone, I tried to entertain myself with some paper I found in a drawer while listening to my mp3. I tried making a crane origami, but my memory failed me and it looked like anything but a crane. Giving up with the origami, my attention now went to my PSP. Hoping that it would at least help me through about two hours, I flicked the switch on and waited for the screen to activate. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The PSP had been on sleep this entire time on one of the menus in Persona 3 Portable and the battery was dangerously low. Someone had touched my beloved PSP. There was only one culprit.

"ANDREW!" I marched right in front of the bathroom door and proceeded to pound on it. All I heard from the other side were giggles and him trying to calm me down, albeit sounding like he was enjoying what I was doing to the door. Then I heard the door open and some footsteps quickly dashing away. He used the door in the other room and ran out.

"Be careful with that." That was Alyssa. "If you break anything you'll have to pay for it."

I wanted to say that I have enough money to pay for the broken door and buy them a better one, but I didn't feel like answering. Instead, I just plopped back down on the bed and grumbled some very adult words to myself.

"Is he done?" Zack asked me, referring to Andrew's usage of the bathroom. I nodded. He then turned off his game, put the controller down, and took some clothes out of his own bag. Not you too, Zack.

"I'm going to go swimming!" He gleefully declared as he charged into the bathroom. Great. My PSP is nearly dead, my best friend is out somewhere I can't be, and I'm all alone with nothing to entertain me with. I guess I could lull myself to sleep with my mp3, but I've been asleep for most of the trip and I don't even know how long that lasted.

Then an idea popped into my head as I turned my sights to a CD case in one of Zack's bags.

Final Fantasy IX. Maybe I can play it and see where I'll want to go kill myself out of boredom. "Hey Zack!" I made my voice loud enough so Zack can hear me through the door. "Is it okay if I used your Playstation?"

He popped his head out of the bathroom for a moment. With one look towards me he must have seen Final Fantasy IX in my hands and then nodded. "Sure." One second later, he was back in the bathroom.

"Sweetness." I popped in one of the discs, not caring which one it was because I'll be exchanging it for another when I load a save file, and started playing. The solemn title theme greeted me with the company logo before I got to the actual title screen. That song always warms my heart.

When I picked the most recent save file Zack made, he had already managed to clear disc 1 and was starting off in disc 2. Sweet! My favorite part of the game. So after changing discs again, I started off with Steiner in control. I was so busy with the game that I failed to notice Zack exit the bathroom and head off into the beach. Have fun while I'm having fun here.

A half hour, a boss fight and some adventuring in Treno passed and I was still absorbed in the game. Though, I did notice the sky getting darker than before. I'm pretty sure a tiny bit of rain isn't gonna stop any of these beach heads. They'll LOVE it. At least I have a roof over my head.

Then, as I was guiding my characters through Gargan Roo, operating the necessary switches and levers so the Gargant's presence could be summoned, something weird started happening. The TV started emitting this static noise as the visuals started flipping out. The Playstation suddenly shorted out and gave off an electric an electric current that traveled to the controller in my hand.

"Shit! Fuck! Crap!" I cursed a few more times as I began shaking my hands in pain. The hairs on my arms were standing up like crazy. How the hell is that possible!? Are Playstations capable of short circuiting themselves to a point where they shock the player's controller and hands? God, that stings.

I have to let Zack know. It's going to be inevitable for him to know that his Playstation just broke. Better tell him now than later.

"Zack!" I shouted after exiting the cabin room I was in. I spotted the kid on the beach playing with the sand along with his brother. He was trying to build something in the sand, but his jerk of a brother kept kicking at his work while laughing and thinking that he's a comical genius.

The wind outside was blowing a chilly breeze, making me pull my jacket closer to myself. The sky seemed to get darker and darker as time passed. If my prediction that rain is going to fall soon is going to happen, I'd maybe want an umbrella in my hands before I go and tell Zack. Good thing there was one conveniently abandoned on our porch. As soon as I grab it and head towards the beach, a girl— probably Miranda—started shouting about bringing it back after I was done.

"Hey, where are you going?" I passed Alyssa as I made my way towards Zack.

"ItshockedmeandIthinkit'sirreparable." My words came out so fast that Alyssa wasn't able to understand what I was trying to say, but I didn't have time for jibber-jabber. I have to tell Zack before anything else happens.

And then thunder boomed across the sky. I wasn't taking any more chances. I opened the umbrella and made a beeline for the actual owner of the Playstation. Alyssa, concerned or just confused, followed.

"Zack! Your Playstation broke!" I shouted at his direction, hoping that he would hear. What it did do is grab the kid's attention. I could hear him saying 'What?'I wanted to repeat what I just said, but being this close to the ocean was making me uncomfortable. "YOUR PLAYSTATION BROKE!" I pointed to the cabin.

That made Zack abandon what he was doing with his brother and run towards the cabin. Mission accomplished. Now all I need to do is get back indoors before it's too late.

"Hey look, it's raining!" Fuck.

"Mind if I squeeze in here with you? I just dried myself." Alyssa asked as she stepped under the umbrella with me, partially holding onto the umbrella handle and my casted arm. Whatever, as long as I'm dry.

Thunder once again boomed up in the heavens and the rain started intensifying, making me hurry a bit faster, almost leaving Alyssa in the mercy of the raindrops. "Hey wait up."

"I can't wait up. The rain is coming down really hard right now and I DO NOT WANT to be under it." I told her as she caught up. This was not really the place for me. Look at the beach, people dancing under the rain, swimming in the ocean, beach volleyball, and other fun activities. Everyone out here is having a blast and I'm the only one with an umbrella.

"You really don't need to hurry," said the girl trying to squeeze into the space underneath the umbrella. "It's not like you're going to get struck by lightning." The sky above us cracked with thunder just as the wind stared to blow against us. Good thing I managed to hold on to the umbrella so it didn't fly away.

I shook my head at her. She thinks that lightning is the thing I'm worried about. Lightning is the last thing I'm worried about. What I'm worried about is getting wet. I told her this in a mocking tone just to emphasize my point. "Besides, lightning doesn't strike a person in a place like this. People near anything large and metallic or in an open field have more of a chance of getting hit."

Unfortunately, fate seemed to like torturing me because the moment I hear another instant of thunder booming above us, a flash from out of nowhere almost blinds me and I feel this intense sensation on my arm before it instantly coursed through my body like a current powering an electrical device.

Before I even knew it, I was on the ground, blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prologue chapter may seem a bit too long and not have game events in it just yet, but don't worry! I'll update again in a few hours to actually start the story. If you notice some missing or misspelled words, give me a heads up.


	2. The Vast Streets of Alexandria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of his journey...

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 1: The Vast Streets of Alexandria

"Oh my gosh, is he okay?"

"Should we call for help?"

"If he's dead, I get his wallet."

What the…? What is with the noise?

"He's moving."

"Thank goodness he's okay."

"Curses."

Everyone shut up. I can't think.

"Maybe he's just asleep."

"Like dreaming?"

"If he doesn't wake up in the next five seconds, I'll grab any money on him."

My eyes had a hard time flickering open to the sound of young voices contemplating to either call for help or rob me. I groaned as my vision, still disoriented and blurry, did not do anything to help me identify who were talking. They weren't familiar or anything close to sounding like my sister's companions.

When my eyes did manage to filter out blurriness, I was right in thinking that these people around me were not the ones I knew. They were different. In fact, they were children; Small, bubbly, albeit a little bratty for the last one, little children. Andrew wasn't around, Nina was nowhere in sight and Alyssa cannot be found. Anyone remotely familiar weren't here, even when they saw me get struck by lightning. BY LIGHTNING. Everyone should be concerned when someone gets struck by lightning.

But back to the matter at hand. Where was my best friend? Where was this girl who claimed to finish Final Fantasy IX three times? Where was the only connection I had to a family tree?

More importantly, where was I? This didn't look like the beach, even though I'm kind of thankful to be away from a body of water. This place looked like an ongoing festival of sorts.

"What's going on here?" An aged voice asked behind the group of troublemakers. I was about to ask the same—

Holy shit! He's a fucking hippo!

My surprise came pretty evident to them when I screamed and tried to back away, only to hit a wall of wood. In my panic, I toppled over a wooden stand to my right, making the contents placed on top of it bounce off the ground. Some of them unfortunately broke, though that is not my concern at the moment.

The ground. It wasn't sand shifting underneath my shoes, just hard cobblestone terrain. What is this? What happened? I looked around and saw a lot more of people— not people, but…humanoid animals like the one I first saw. Hippos and elephants and ducks and a bunch more that I cannot identify right now, and they were all walking around with the normal looking people like they actually belong in society.

What kind of backwards reality am I in? Dreamland?

I got up and took a better look. No doubt this wasn't the beach, but where was I? Why were the people like this? Am I in an animal cosplay convention? A stand on my far left had a collection of mirrors, a man right beside it trying to bargain with the passersby loud enough for me to hear. I quickly went towards the guy's stand and looked for a full body mirror, thinking that somebody may have done to me physically.

"Ah, a customer!" The man said with a huge grin on his face. "Might I interest you in some of my mirrors?" I was busy looking at my panicked reflection to care about what he was saying.

Nothing seemed weird with me; Long black hair, that business intern-look-a-like outfit along with the jacket still on me, my right hand cast, my normal looks were all the same. Good. I thought someone may have kidnapped me and left me here with a weird outfit and some markings on my face. You just don't know, man. It may happen to you.

Even with the little feeling of relief, there was still that one lingering question: where was I?

"Where you are right now is the great country of Alexandria," The man selling the mirrors replied.

What?

"Alexandria, alongside her neighboring kingdom of Lindblum, is one of the biggest kingdoms that inhabit the Mist Continent."

… Unbelievable.

"We are currently in the midst of celebrating the 16th birthday of Her Highness, Princess Garnet. Quite an event it will be."

Inconceivable.

"Oh, conceivable it is. The kingdom will no doubt have a grand time alongside Her Highness in her celebration. Now how about I interest you in some of my best mirrors."

What is happening? If that guy is to be believed, this looked like what he described. This is the kingdom of Alexandria, a place that only exists in a virtual world that runs in a video game console with discs. And this guy is telling me that I am in that world, which is not supposed to exist. This isn't real. This isn't supposed to be happening. I think the laws of reality don't apply here anymore.

I must be dreaming, that's the only logical explanation to this. Overexposure to sand and saltwater in a rain storm does that kind of stuff to people. This isn't real. I'm just dreaming. I can still wake up.

"Can you pinch me right on the cheek?" I asked, getting an incredulous look from him as I pointed to my face. This is just a dream. "I really want to wake up now."

"Are you serious, young man?"

"Seriously!"

"People these days," sighed the merchant with a shrug. Without even looking at me, he put out his left hand, used his thumb and index finger to grab a bit of my cheek and pulled harshly.

"OW!" My eyes were starting to fill up with water from the pain, which I tried to blink away furiously. When I managed to get my eyesight to clear, nothing changed. I was still in Alexandria. This is not a dream.

I think I'm going crazy. Oh God, I think I AM crazy.

My knees buckled in shock, my body collapsed until I landed on my bottom on the cobblestone ground. I put a hand, my only capable hand, on my face as tons of passers-by just walked past the teenager having a complete crisis. Yeah, just walk by. Don't worry about the kid that is this close to having an anxiety attack. My face felt like my blood stopped flowing to that particular part of my body. My mind is in a total blank.

"A-are you o-okay?" A stuttering voice asked behind me. It was a kid in clothes almost too big for him with a pointy, yet silly looking, hat.

"I'm fine." I replied, shaking my head. "Having the time of my life." Of course, my current tone and demeanor didn't exactly share my words' meaning.

"Perhaps a seat in the play would lift your spirits." The merchant suggested to me, but I wasn't paying attention. "I Want To Be Your Canary, I have seen it multiple times and each time is an experience I cannot forget."

"I'm going to see the play today." The kid said with a rising excitement in his voice.

"Then you should move along. The Ticketmaster should be up in the square." He pointed straight ahead to where most of the people, or humanoid animals, were heading. I could hear the kid walking away to his next destination when his little conversation with the merchant ended. At least that kid was cultured, that young going to a play all by his lonesome…

Wait… Lonesome? Play? Kid? Pointy hat?

That was VIVI! Vivi the freaking black mage.

My head quickly turned to the direction of the black mage so fast I almost got whiplash. Only the tip of his hat could be seen over the crowd that was slowly swallowing him up. I followed him the best that I can in that crowd, which I saw was being led by a horn-carrying duck person. Why was I following him? I don't even know. My mind still cannot comprehend what was happening to me. Maybe my sanity wanted to keep track of something or someone familiar to me even though they are fictional. At least I'm doing something.

I tailed the little black mage as he wade into the crowd of nobles, I managed to get past the crowd with less finesse and a lot of getting hit on the head for being reckless around such a high class community. While I still have him in my sights, my mind suddenly came up with a question: What do I plan to get out of this whole ordeal?

For some reason, I didn't have an answer to that. Sure I get to see the game's events unravel right before my eyes in real time, which is a pretty good thing to happen to me since I'm a big fan of the game, but what do I get out of it?

Before I could think of an answer to this troubling question, I hear some shouting behind me and I managed to lose sight of Vivi. The shouting started to escalate. Some of the people were parting like the red sea as this guy got nearer. Well, whatever. I'm pretty sure some guy here pissed off this guy for no apparent reason and he's looking for some –

"Hey, you! I'm talking to you, you brown rags wearing kid!" Then from out of nowhere, I got grabbed from behind, turned around and lifted up into the air by two huge hands holding onto my collar. "You destroyed my stand, you little shit!"

This guy was a towering figure of humanity. He looks like someone who eats bricks for breakfast and bench presses a minivan just for fun. Seriously, he was five times my size that I cannot even believe to be possible.

"Wha-wha-what?" I managed to stammer out in fear.

"Three kids saw you destroy my stand while I was getting some change. Think I'm just gonna let you waltz around town on two good legs after doing that, huh?" My legs!? Not my legs! I already have a broken hand!

"I didn't do it on purpose, I swear!"

"Begging won't help you, kid." A terrible grin crept on his face as the bystanders only looked on at what would look like a curb-stomp battle between a cripple and Godzilla. Right behind him, I could see the a few female Alexandrian soldiers marching to our general direction, yelling 'Stop what you are doing right now or we will place you under arrest'. Like that was going to stop this guy. "Any last words?"

I actually didn't have one. My mind was too busy looking for a way out. As he was ready to destroy me, pulling back one of his hands and formed a fist, I closed my eyes and did the only thing a desperate man would do: kick someone in the crotch.

One swift kick was all it took as the terrorizing muscleman dropped me and had a twisted look of pain on his face. Without hesitation, I scrambled up to my feet and fled the scene.

"You're not going anywhere!" The man shouted as he got back up, though he was rearranging his set, if you catch my drift, then started running after me.

'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…' That was everything coming through my brain right now. A man with rippling muscles had set his sights on me for unintentionally toppling his stand and I do not know how I'm going to get rid of him. If he gets his clutches on me again, I'm a dead man, and I vehemently do not want to be a dead man.

The streets of the kingdom of Alexandria were much bigger than I have ever imagined. Well, that's what happens when a game only restricts you to only going to places the programmers and developers have put in. I mean, I could see alleyways with dead ends and access to other streets aside from this main street I was running in, intersections and various landmarks that I have never seen before aside from the statue near the gate leading outside the kingdom.

Turning every other street was starting to get to me as my legs were starting to get tired. Not only is that guy still chasing me, but a bunch of Alexandrian soldiers were dispatched, apparently they heard that there was a scuffle between two rowdy individuals happening on the day of Princess Garnet's birthday and they wanted to arrest them for their troubling behavior. Great, just great. I just need to lose 'Hulk' somewhere and the soldiers might be content with just one criminal to arrest, but how?

"Get back here you rag-wearing troublemaker!" He yelled as he pushed people out of his way. That's it! He only identifies me with my jacket. But this jacket is expensive and losing it would just make me feel like I threw away five-hundred bucks. It's either my well-being or my wallet. Crap. Why does this have to be hard? "I AM GOING TO BREAK YOU IN HALF!" That's it, my well-being first.

After turning into a much busier street filled with hoodlums and poor-looking civilians, I just looked for someone who could look like me with my back turned. When I did find someone who kinda had my hair, I quickly took my jacket off and put it on my unwitting body double.

"Hey!" The man shouted after receiving my 'gift'.

"You'll thank me later!" I said before turning into another intersection. God, this place is big. He was probably wondering where this guy came from, but his thoughts changed directions when he was picked off the ground by my previous pursuer.

When I was done putting a few more miles between me and the new crime scene I've properly evaded, I sat down on the corner and gave out a big breath and took in bigger one, but I still wasn't relieved. Sure, I was out of danger for now, yet I was still in a fictional world and was practically lost. Vivi should be at the Ticketmaster by now, but I doubt that he'd still be there if I ever manage to get there. Even if I do accomplish that, then there would be another thing on my mind: How did I get here?

"Psst!" Someone kept making noises directed at me while I was stuck in my own mind. It was an old woman trying to get my attention. From what I could tell, she must have been either poor or a hardened traveler by choice of clothing, which was a long ripped brown coat that hooded her face, a very old looking and aged dress with a white tattered shirt underneath and what appear to be tights for her legs. "Young man, I believe I have something that may interest you."

"Unless it's a time machine, then no you don't have my attention." I grumbled to myself as she approached.

"Oh really now?" She then started digging inside one of her pockets, humming a tune that sounded cheerful and upbeat but aged. Who was this woman? I'm pretty sure that even fictional characters have the common sense to not talk to strangers. After a while, she seemed to have found what she was looking for, which was a folded old-looking piece of paper. "Here you go."

Now tell me, what would I get out of this whole situation? I was thinking 'nothing' because this may just be a con that people pull on other people who are new to the kingdom. But I'm not new to the kingdom. I'm a real person having a slight delusion after being struck by lightning. That's what happens when you get struck by lightning. But something was telling me to humor this old woman, so I took the paper and unfolded it. What it was came as a shock to me.

"A ticket to 'I Want to be Your Canary'?" My voice sounded like I should be offended, but happy. Then, I thought what if this was a con. "What's the catch?"

"Answer me this the next time we meet," The old woman got up close to my face, making me see the tied bun if white hair underneath the hood and the gray eyes that were now staring into the very essence of my soul. "What are you looking for?" She stayed like that for a few seconds before turning and walking away.

What the hell was that? She just hands me a ticket to the play, tells me a riddle and simply runs off. I mean, what is up with that? I think it's not only me who is crazy today. But, with this wonderful ticket I now have a way into the play and catch up to the black mage. I guess that's what I should do next. Next stop, the Ticketmaster.


	3. A Front Row Seat

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 2: A Front Row Seat…

Right after the peculiar events I have experienced in the past thirty minutes, I proceeded to the town square where the Ticket Master was located. That was a prerequisite for people who wanted to see the play, right? Of course, my next act was to ask for directions seeing that I was lost in a town, or kingdom, I did not know like the back of my hand unlike certain individuals who lived here.

Asking someone with authority in these streets would be ideal, right? No! After what happened with me and a certain bulking behemoth that resulted in a chase around town, I preferred to avoid any helmeted soldiers unless it was necessary. I needed to hurry for I was losing daylight. So like any desperate man looking for help, I begged anyone who passed me by for directions. Someone is bound to tell me something.

Someone did. It took a pretty long time too. Often during this little scenario, I was mistaken for something else that I didn't mean to be interpreted out of it. I was perceived as a beggar who has gone delirious multiple times, someone who just got fired and started drinking early in the morning a few times, and once as someone trying to come on to them. This woman, an actual female human for a change, had the nerve to slap me hard enough to spin me around and hit my face on a pole being dangerously carried by a rushing mechanic. Damn near broke my nose. Though, he did tell people to be careful numerous times.

When I did find someone who didn't interpret my approach as one of the above, a man who was part rhino kindly pointed me to the right direction, or directions seeing that what he told me were a literal description of directions from a treasure map. I thanked him and went on my way.

"Town Square should be right around…here!" I said as I rounded the corner. And there it was, an archway of two towering clocks was welcoming me to the center of the kingdom. A large tent stood at the center of it with the word 'TICKET' presented on top of it, indicating the Ticket Master's location. The surrounding buildings were as what you would expect in a place set in a European medieval fantasy. An inn was located to the left of the tent, a flower shop right next to the archway and the item and weapon shop conveniently seen next to it were the ones I immediately recognized. Before I could gander more at the scenery, a duo of Alexandrian soldiers prompted me to hurry to the Ticket Master.

"Can I help you, son?" Those were the exact words he said to Vivi in the game, if I remember correctly. The Ticket Master was another humanoid person, this time being a part-wolf with a chubby and cheery disposition. "Is there something the matter?" He caught me staring at him blankly. His question, along with the tapping of the glass, snapped me from my stares.

"I'm sorry." I embarrassingly apologized. "A lot of things just happened to me today."

"No worries then. Today will be a pretty hectic day from what I've observed." The Ticket Master said. "A lot of people came from around the continent to wish our Princess a happy sixteenth birthday."

"Yeah, sure is."

"Speaking of people around the continent, you look like you're not from here." He leaned on the small counter underneath the glass that was dividing him and me. "Tell me, son. Where do you hail from?"

Well, it is obvious that I don't look like I was from here, but what do I say? 'I'm from the real world called Earth' would earn me a one way ticket to a loony bin. I may need to choose my words carefully here. "Well, yes actually. I am not from here because…I'm from somewhere else!" Alright, good, good.

"From where exactly?" He rephrased his question. I avoided opening my mouth for a while as I dug into my pockets for my ticket. Maybe I can buy myself some time with it.

"Oh I forgot. Here's my ticket." I put my ticket on the counter, hoping that it would take his mind off of his current question.

"Ah, yes." He examined the ticket first by putting it against a light. Even here they are not big fans of counterfeit materials.

While he was doing that, I was racking my brain on making some elaborate story this old coot would believe. Unfortunately, my brain was having some issues with quick thinking. Without giving myself away, I looked left and right for anything that would help me here. Then I saw something behind the Ticket Master: a written list of other plays that have been presented in Alexandria. It seemed that they were only recently shown here. I read the titles with haste as the Ticket Master was just recording my ticket in and punching it. When he was done, I was smiling to avoid suspicion and took back my ticket.

"Thank you." I said. Maybe if I turned around and walked away, then maybe I can get away without answering. I don't care if that's not being polite or whatever.

"You were going to say something." The Ticket Master said. Curses.

"Oh, that." Alright, here goes. It better be convincing. "My family comes from another continent, somewhere far from here." I began. But that opening premise seemed to surprise the old man.

"From another continent, you say? I thought only a few people lived outside the Mist Continent." The Ticket Master wondered with awe.

"That's what I heard. There are, indeed, a few human people, but there are a lot of mixed breeds." I said. "Where was I? Oh yeah. My parents and sailing. They loved sailing, especially my parents. They even say that they were 'born of the sea'. Crazy, huh?"

"Not as crazy as a lot of things that has happened here, young man."

"Right. Anyway, one day when my father decided to take us all on a big sailing trip. At first, I felt elated that we were going somewhere we have never gone to, but felt a bit of dread when I stepped on the deck. When that first tiny wave rolled under us, I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Of course, my parents thought I was just nervous and continued on. Halfway across the ocean, we got into a horrible storm. We barely survived. We managed to sail to Lindblum, but with barely anything on our backs and pockets. My family managed to come back from that horrible depression as traveling sales— er, merchants, yes, and engineers after a few years. Now I'm a traveling merchant so I can make my father and mother proud."

After that long, winded, deceptive speech, I felt proud of being able to connect a story like that out of titles I barely knew of, and almost out of breath for talking in such a short time. The Ticket Master could only nod with his arms crossed. "That is quite a story, lad. I hope you and your family gets back home."

"I sure hope so too." And with that, I said goodbye and walked away.

"Huh. Some of that sounded familiar." I heard the Ticket Master say to himself while scratching the top of his head. It should be familiar, you old coot. You're standing in front of it. "What was that?"

"What?" I stopped in my tracks, thinking that the Ticket Master was talking to me. When I turned around, he was talking with a couple who were showing their respective tickets. Whatever. I just continued on my way.

Now here's my problem. That one earlier with the story regarding when I was asked by the Ticket Master is not true. It just came up and it had to be dealt with. My real problem now is getting to that play without raising a commotion. I've been pretty unsuccessful doing just that recently and my luck isn't going to change on a single whim.

Those two patrolling Alexandrian soldiers are going to be a problem. Maybe there's something I can use to sneak past them.

"My dear nobles of Treno! Walk this way and we shall get you to your seats!" One of the heralds for the nobles shouted over the group following him. Yes! I can use that group of nobles to get in undetected. Brilliant idea!

As they walked towards the gate, I blended in from the back, entering the group slowly until I was secured in the middle where neither knight nor soldier would notice me. I ignored the mumbling and hushed rich talk when I walked in, some of them insulting my choice of clothing and my overall look. Hey, some people from where I come from consider this a very fashionable look. Anyway, as the group of nobles was entering the gate, someone didn't like my presence in the group and decided to remedy it by tripping and pushing me out. I landed perfectly on my butt and in front of the two guards just as they were about to close the gate.

"Hey!" One of them shouted. Dammit.

"I have a ticket!" I said, putting up my hands in surrender like a common criminal begging for the cops to not shoot him. "Don't execute me! I swear it was an accident! He started it!"

The two soldiers looked at me, bewildered at my dubious confession. The other approached me, surprisingly without her sword drawn, and helped me up. "I'm sorry. My comrade here is a little tightly wound up lately."

"I have a right to be." The one who shouted replied. "Some guy led almost a quarter of the kingdom's soldiers in a wild goose chase." Oh crap. "Sure we got one guy, but he said that he was going after someone else, the actual guy who started it." She then got so close to me that she was invading my personal space. "Have you seen him?"

"Now, now, let's not scare the civilians." The other soldier pulled her comrade away from me before I could start begging for a lighter sentence other than execution. "It's been a hectic day and I just want it to be over."

"Yeah, me too." I said nervously. We stood there silent for a moment, me mostly being because that other soldier could probably arrest me then and there for remembering me. Fortunately, she just keeps looking back at me with a glare aimed towards me with each time getting deadlier and deadlier. The other one was preoccupied by something else going on in her head. I would have been glad to just stand there all day doing nothing, aside from pacing back and forth like a common minion, but I don't have the time in the world to be doing that. So I tapped the nicer soldier on the shoulder, breaking her away from her own thoughts. "Can I go in? I have a ticket."

I showed her my ticket, which she looked at closely, and nodding. "Oh, I'm sorry about that. I'll let you in now." She opened the gate, which I failed to observe had closed during our little 'conversation'. Before I could get in, the other soldier grabbed me by the injured arm, making me wince a bit.

"If you see that guy in there, rush back here and tell me." Her eyes gleamed with a passion with intentions I don't want to ever visualize.

"Don't worry. You'll be the first one to hear about it." With that, I got past the gate and into an audience filled with nobles. Okay, where are the ordinary people sitting at? The harder I looked for it, the more I realized that there wasn't one. Everyone here was either nobles or someone with fancy looking clothes and I had to deal with it. I was pretty sure that there was one noble here who wasn't glad to see and I bet he/she tripped me.

Whatever. I spotted an empty seat near the aisle and it had a wonderful view of the airship's front, which would soon become the stage for I Want to be Your Canary and after that the beginning for a chaotic night. There was a small pamphlet on the chair with the name "Meguro" on it. Odd name, but I assume that it belongs to the woman who handed me her ticket.

From where I was seated, a 270 degree turn of the head to the left and a bit more upwards could let you see where Queen Brahne and Princess Garnet were seated. Her long, depressed face was identifiable even at that distance, and so is the hideousness of the queen. Just looking at her makes me shudder. Right beside me was a lady around my age, beaming with excitement evidently shown by a smile. It was annoying seeing someone like that. I mean, nobody could that be really happy even if you were living in a virtual world without you knowing. Such positivity at that proximity was draining my strength.

With a growl, I turned away from the girl and paid attention to my front. The lights started to dim and everyone around was starting to quiet down. A few moments passed in silence, a cough here and a sneeze there didn't affect the atmosphere. Then, if I remember correctly, the Captain of the Pluto Knights raised his sword to the heavens and signaled for the opening.

The stage brightened with fireworks that shot up into the sky with a straight gold light while the same colored pyrotechnics rained down on the stage while the ship's little orchestra played a bit of fanfare to accompany the display. The nobles in my area, alongside with the other viewers sitting at their roofs and other places, were applauding the wonderful gesture made for the princess's celebration. All that was missing now was someone to start up The Wave.

I've seen this part of the game numerous times whenever I start a new game and seeing it live in person makes all those other times seem like irrelevant, almost like you attend a concert and hear the most replayed song in your music player being played. This made me genuinely smile and I don't smile easily because I'm always irritated.

As Baku, the leader of Tantalus dressed for the role of King Leo, began opening the play with an introduction to the play, a thought came across my mind: what do I do next? I've stumbled into this seat because of a woman who was feeling generous and I still have no idea what her riddle was all about. Even I'm unsure what my goal is. Everything that has happened to me from waking up in Alexandria to watching my first play with a crowd of rich people felt very odd, so odd that other people would be even glad to be here. But me, I'm not feeling it. Something here isn't right.

-FF FF FF-

I tried to forget that odd feeling I got as the play progressed. Eventually, I did and it helped shift the focus back to the play that was supposed to be entertaining me until everything starts to go crazy.

For what it was worth, I was enjoying the show. The battle of Marcus' crew with King Leo and his two gas-masked henchmen were exciting to watch for a play's standard. I don't know what that standard is since this is my first time in a play, but as I'm sure it could be worse. Pyrotechnics and special effects were used effectively during some parts, especially the fight scene, which made those parts flashier.

The duel between Zidane and Blank afterwards was much more entertaining than its command-based predecessor in the game. Seeing it done almost spontaneously and well-timed made me want to throw money at them after they were done, only to be reminded that I didn't have anything on my person aside from my cast and my clothes.

Everything is fine as the play went on. I think I got TOO into it in one scene when I shouted in favor of Marcus while King Leo was doing his monologue, which caused great amounts of embarrassing shushed comments from the other viewers. An Alexandrian soldier, the nicer one from the gate, warned me to never do it again or she'll throw me out. I'm pretty sure I'm not the first one to do such a thing, but maybe it is because today is the celebration for Princess Garnet. Everyone must have been way too high strung today just to impress her.

Plus that beard Baku has on along with that outfit makes me think of him as an ancestor of the Burger King. It made me want to laugh when I realized it, but stifled it because I don't want to be dragged out of the play.

Anyway, the play was nearing the point of Marcus being caught by King Leo and the whole play would degrade from there. I was too busy watching the skies for any flying or rope-swinging important protagonists to notice that the lady beside me has been looking at me quite oddly.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, her voice thick with an accent that my brain would register as generally British.

"Nothing. Just watch your play. I'm not distracting you, am I?"

"Your actions are quite disturbing actually." I turned to her, irritated that she said what I just heard.

"So looking at the stars is the current standard for disturbing?" I asked rhetorically before continuing looking up. Then I saw some movement up on one of the towers of the castle; a white hooded figure standing on the edge before slipping away by falling down with her back to the ground. Of course, she hung onto a wire and was now swinging towards the stage roof. She was followed by a certain yellow-tailed person, who managed to land safely at the same spot, and an armor-clad gentleman, who smashed against one of the tall structures of the airship.

That was definitely Princess Garnet, Zidane and Steiner respectively. You could hear the orchestra get a little off the rails for a moment before getting back in the groove all because of the princess. Everything has been going as the game's actual events happened. Hopefully nothing throws everything off the rails like earlier. As for any plan that I could possibly have, I'll just play along and go with the main party until I wake up. This is just a dream after all.

"Did you know that would happen?" To my surprise, the lady beside me had caught a glimpse of the three flying individuals just as I did. Heh. Maybe I should mess with her a bit.

"Yes. Yes I did." I said with a grin. "I can foretell the future." I waved my hands theatrically, despite not having any previous acting lessons, to emphasize my 'abilities'.

"Really?" Her eyes went wide like cookies. "What do you see in the future?" I could see that her interest was now invested in me.

"Let me see." I closed my eyes momentarily before opening them and looking deep into the woman's eyes. "There will be chaos soon. The Princess will be kidnapped. Madness will befall the queen." I whispered to her since I only wanted to mess with her not the entire population. She gasped, really showing that she believes what I just said. "But I suggest you do not reveal this information to anyone else. You don't want to be called crazy."

"Yes. Definitely." She sounded almost shaken by the revelation of the future. True, I didn't lie, but the truth has a lot of varying effects on people. With that she turned back to the play and did not bother me anymore. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you get a girl to ignore you. Thank you for the applause.

Soon, the main protagonists of the game will pop up into the stage after fighting Steiner below the deck and distracting him with oglops. That is the main attraction, the main event that I'm looking for. I looked behind me over the rows of nobles deeply paying attention to the play, searching for two out-of-place individuals in the crowd, not that I'm not out of place. Right behind the farthest row stood two little boys who snuck in through the castle walls: A little brown rat with an orange helmet-like thing on his head and a little child with a distinctive pointy hat, Puck and Vivi respectively.

Good. They are in position. Now I have to just wait for the nearing finale of the play, then I'd run up to the stage and join them before it flies off to the horizon.

There's only one problem with that: I don't have a clear reason for getting on the airship. Sure, Vivi didn't plan on getting on but he only got there because he was being chased by Pluto Knights. What do I have? A cover story put together using various play titles. Really, no actual reason. 'Hey I'm a traveling merchant and I just wanted to catch a ride! I hope you don't mind.' That is not going to go well. It is too farfetched for any person to believe. Anyone willing to suspend their disbelief would punch me in the face upon hearing such a pathetic excuse. This is bad. I'm having a crisis. Having an excuse to get on is critical because I'm bound to be asked why.

No, let's not panic. I have time. I'll just think of one before anything else happens. No trouble, right?

Just clear my mind. Something is bound to come up in my head and I'll just expand on that idea when it comes. Right now, let's just chill out, watch the play and try not to freak out anymore nobles with our knowledge of future events.

The play was at its fifth scene where Marcus is standing alone at dawn, waiting for his beloved to arrive so they may escape King Leo and love each other forever somewhere else. As he waits, Cinna's character, which I am not sure whether it is actually named Cinna or unknown, tries to convince him to leave for their ship is about to set sail. Their use of long words and Shakespearean-time vocabulary just got grating. The only thing they need now is to rhyme and/or speak in a set amount of syllables.

Anyway, Cinna exits the stage after informing him that their ship has sailed away, their only way of escape now gone Marcus stand there contemplating whether Princess Cornelia had lied. He peps himself up with long words towards the twin moons and prepares to infiltrate King Leo's castle.

And of course, he was caught.

The captured Marcus was dragged in front of the tyrannical king, who just finished proudly gloating to himself that the ownership of Prince Schneider's kingdom would be his once his daughter is forcefully wed to the prince even before it has happened. It must be pretty enjoyable to be so smug and hungry for power. I'd like to try that once before I pass away.

And side note, he just rhymed three consecutive times and two of those shared the number of syllables. That just completed my Shakespearean checklist.

"Furthermore!" King Leo tried to continue his gloating after telling Marcus that he would die by losing his neck to an axe, only to be interrupted by a pair of run-ins thanks to Zidane, Garnet dressed in a white hood, and Steiner. Zidane didn't seem fazed by this as he already had a plan in mind. Garnet was surprised to be even on stage, but not as much as Steiner, who looked lost and confused by the result of this chase.

I could hear the crowd of nobles around me whispering a bit about this. Some of them pointed out that actress of Princess Cornelia were different than earlier. At least they had the attention span for that. I could see the two trespassing characters moving from their previous spot to somewhere closer. Just a little bit more before I have to jump in there and I still have no excuse. No matter! I shall overcome this.

The characters on stage resumed the play with some impromptu changes, Marcus and Cornelia now reunited while King Leo insisted that he will never give them his blessing to wed. Steiner, the impromptu actor of Schneider, could only look around like a lost child, and responded with astonishment when talked to.

A small fight scene commences between Zidane and Marcus going against Zenero and Benero, who were defeated easily and retreated, leaving their king all alone.

"Pray sweet daughter, come home to the castle with me." King Leo begged his daughter.

"Nay Father! I shan't return," came was Garnet/Cornelia's reply.

"Cornelia…Trouble me no more. This wedding is for thine own welfare. Be mindful of that." King Leo desperately wanted to have his daughter at his side, but his attempts were stopped by Marcus.

"Not if I can help it! Now is my moment of vengeance! For my parents, and for my love, Cornelia…" He drew his sword and pointed it to the antagonist in front of him. "I shall cut thee down!"

With weapon in hand, he charged at the villainous king and was about to end his life then and there with one heroic stab, but irony walked into his sword's direction in the form of Princess Cornelia. She took the hit for her father, even though he was a tyrant he was still the father who loved her and she didn't want him to die. She lay in Marcus's arms as she draws her last breath the same way Jesus died in His mother's arms. There were cries of anguish between the characters, especially Cornelia's beloved. With the blood of Cornelia on his hands and the thought of never hearing or feeling Cornelia ever again, he directed his own sword towards him and ended his life with one thrust. Steiner's enforced method acting made the scene more emotional.

From what I could tell, Puck and Vivi were moved by the performance of the theatre group, and so was Queen Brahne. She was crying so hard that I thought waterfalls were going to start flowing through her eyes. From the far left were two Pluto Knights who looked like they accidentally saw the recent turn of events and saw two young perpetrators. Maybe Vivi should left with his phony ticket instead of trespassing.

That was when it all began.

What happened next was Vivi, abandoned by Puck, got forced to jump onstage and told the knights to back off with his fire magic, accidentally burning Princess Garnet's white hood, which caused her to shed it after jumping up and dancing because of the heat. Then I began to notice that the third hatch from below the stage opened. This happened while The Captain, who just recently broke out of his distracted trance by the recent turn of events, demand that the 'kidnappers' hand over the princess with the help of the two newly arrived Pluto Knights.

They were about to throw down when it happened, the final hatch came up showing a girl with brown hair around the age range of a developed teenager dressed in a white shirt and blue overalls. She looked wide-eyed in surprise as the two forces stopped charging when she came up.

I could see her mouth move from where I was. "Uh…oh."

This is where everything goes crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're slowly getting into the action here. If you have anything to say about the story so far, don't be afraid to say it. Any form of feedback is appreciated. It helps me edit the future chapters.
> 
> Also, if you like more violent stuff, try checking out my other story "Trust in Him". See you at the next chapter next week!


	4. For the Ensuing Carnage

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 3: …For the Ensuing Carnage

"Aha! Another criminal in cahoots with this act! I shall see to it that all of you are arrested." Steiner shouted.

If everyone forgot what had just happened, let me remind you. Everything had been going as planned by canon. From the three protagonists swinging to the airship from above to the point where they interrupt the play by abruptly appearing via a platform from below the Prima Vista that could be accessed only from the engine room. Then that was when everything got off the rails.

That girl that just appeared just now… This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to be there! That girl is not supposed to be there!

And something about her seems familiar.

"Help!" The girl cried. She sounded familiar too.

Then it hit me. It was the girl I was last with before the lightning struck me: Alyssa…uh…whatshername. What the hell was she doing there?

Hold the phone! This is my chance! This is the excuse I have been looking for! And to think nobody out here was looking out for me. Oh sweet merciful heaven now I can go on.

Before Steiner or his knights could do anything, Zidane, like the hero he is, stood between the knights and Alyssa. Princess Garnet helped up Alyssa while Steiner demanded that they surrender. Of course, they responded as you'd think. Zidane and Marcus pulled out their weapons, Garnet simply stating that he is too stubborn to understand, and Vivi, not knowing what is happening, hesitantly standing at the sidelines of the ensuing fight.

"Oh no. This is it." The lady to my left said, abruptly standing and pointing to the airship. "Our safety is in danger! Everyone flee! Flee!" I guess I kind of overdid it. She ran past me, up the aisle and out of the gate even before the guards could figure out what she was babbling about.

Before I could act, I could feel a hand gripping my shoulder like a vise. This made me grab the hand and attempt to squirm my way out. I managed to get out of my seat in the ensuing struggle, but came face to face with the pointed edge of a sword.

Its wielder was one of the female Alexandrian soldiers from the gate. The other nicer one stood behind her, her hand near the hilt of her own sword, ready to react if the situation changes. The two were armed and I am not, so I had to put up my hands in surrender, trying to convey the message that I do not have anything on me.

"You know there was one thing the other guy we arrested blabbered about while we dragged him away," She said as she adjusted her sword so it was centimeters away from my nose. She looked down, her sword flowing suit before stopping at my chest. "He mentioned that the other perpetrator was wearing something hanging from his neck that was of the color red." She fortunately put her sword away, but grabbed my red tie and pulled harshly.

"Please, I didn't mean to start it." I gasped as she pulled again. "It was an…ack…an accident."

"Spare me your lies. You lied to our faces a few hours ago and now you're still lying." She grinned when she brought my face close enough to her eyes under her helmet. A pair of icy cold blue eyes looked back at me accompanied by a contemptuous grin. "I'm going to enjoy whipping you upside down in the castle dungeons."

"Whipping!?" I yelped when she pulled on my tie again.

"Isn't that going a bit too far?" Her compatriot asked, trying to pull her away, only to be shrugged back.

"Citizens should learn how to respect authority. If they don't, then everything established by the people in power will collapse."

"Look, before you go raving about power and order and how justice should be maintained, maybe you can – ACK!" The soldier interrupted me once again by pulling my tie.

"SILENCE!" She now decided to embody police brutality by smacking me on the back of my head. There were some gasps from the crowd of Treno nobles when they saw this and they got a cold glare from the soldier in return. Does she know that what she's doing is illegal in some countries? "I know. And no one saw a damn thing."

"What in the hell are you –"

"No one saw anything. NOT. A DAMN. THING." She emphasized each final word with punctuation and a push. She looked around at the nobles around her, glowering at them briefly just to make sure they got the message. "Now walk!"

As I walked under the might of this oppressive soldier, I could see some looks of disappointment and outrage aimed towards her, one of those belonging from her fellow soldier. I looked over my shoulder to see what was happening now on stage. The airship was still there, the Pluto Knights and the Tantalus kidnappers plus their "hostage", Vivi and Alyssa were fighting it out, well except for Alyssa because she was unarmed. Though, I did see her constantly dodge under one of the knights' attacks until to the point that she slapped one of them. I guess that didn't help. I need to get away from this crazy chick here and onto that airship.

I got it! "Hey look! Someone is being mugged!"

"Where!? I'll make sure they'll hang!" This woman's pursuit of justice is a little skewed, but it's something I could take advantage of. With her quickly looking around for this 'perpetrator' I managed to slink away from her by kicking her in the shin and run towards the airship.

"Halt!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. I jumped the velvet rope dividing the nobles from the pathway where Zidane and Blank dueled and kept running. I looked behind me and saw that the girl who intended to arrest and whip me upside-down was rushing down to where I was. Crap.

I quickly got up the ramp as I noticed that the airship was starting to move away. With the soldier easily closing the gap between us, an idea struck me and it came to physical form by me kicking the ramp off the edge, cutting loose any route she had onto the bridge as the airship started to depart.

"Sorry, girls!" I grinned with a sarcastic salute. "I have a flight to—" Just when I thought that my luck was beginning to change, the female soldier just jumped over the gap and managed to clear it, but just barely by grabbing onto the ledge. "—catch?"

Just when I was backing up, I tripped over a stage prop that has fallen off during the airship's ascension and hit my back on something metal. The problem was that this metal thing was being worn on someone else's torso and it felt the impact. "What the—? Another one?" The Pluto Knight, I think it was Weimar, turned around and pointed his sword at me.

"Okay. I think we've gotten on the wrong foot here. I am not with them." I explained to the good Pluto Knight. "I just saw—"

"LIES!" I heard someone exclaim behind me. It was that soldier again. Damn it, why can't she get the hint? She climbed up on the stage, breathing hard at her efforts. "You will not escape, not without punishment."

"I don't need punishment. You do, you crazy bitch!" That only resulted in the two of them pointing their swords at me.

"You do not talk to a lady like that." Weimar said, looking over to the other soldier. His words seemed lost on the girl. All she wanted for today was catch the guy who made a ruckus on the Princess's birthday and that was what she was going to get.

I raised my hands defensively while taking a few steps back. "Okay, I think I worded that out incorrectly. What I meant to say was we don't have to fight." I looked at the two, hoping that they would reconsider this whole situation, but they just looked at each other and back at me, now more alert. The two had me cornered as I had no more space to back up into. These two were going to serve my head to the queen on a platter, though I doubt she'd care with all the hostile takeovers she'll be planning to do occupying her time. I guess I have no choice other than using my last resort.

"I really don't want to do this, but here goes." At a drop of a hat, I got down on my knees, put my hands together and shook them continuously. "Don't arrest me! I'm just a traveling merchant! I don't have any money! Arrest them! I'm not with them!"

"What the—?" Weimar didn't know how to react. I bet nobody has begged as desperately as me in his time as a Pluto Knight. Even the soldier girl was rather surprised as a result of my actions. I could feel that the edges of their swords lowered from my face as they contemplated what to do next.

While they stood there gathering their thoughts, I looked over to the main fight at the center of the stage. It actually became a duel between two people: the Pluto Knights and the Tantalus thieves. Garnet and Vivi were standing near the small constructed castle, holding on hard while the ship ascended into the air. Wait. Where's Alyssa?

"Begging won't stop justice from –…" Before she could even finish that statement, a piece of wood pulled from the stage floor knocked against her head with a mighty swing. Weimar jumped upon hearing the impact and seeing a girl wielding the improvised 2x4 over his unconscious compatriot.

It was Alyssa. "I suggest you put your sword down," said my savior.

"Let me help you with that." I said as I swiftly rearranged his jewels with a left-handed punch. I swear my wrist felt loose after connecting with that. That loosened his grip on his weapon and made him kneel in pain. "I'll be taking that, thank you very much." I took his sword by the hilt and tried lifting it up, only to be overwhelmed by its weight. "What the hell? Is this a sword or a two-hundred pound wrestler?" It must be because I'm just using one hand, but dear GOD it was still difficult to lift up.

"Blake!" I was so distracted by my attempt of lifting a simple sword that I temporarily forgot about the girl who saved me and the excuse I only had to get on this airship. Weimar silently left the scene, jumping off the stage to a nearest roof and thankfully making it. It would be horrible if he were to die in an accident when he is not supposed to die. Anyway, Alyssa put her arms around me as tight as an anaconda would to its victim before devouring it. "Blake! Thank goodness I finally found someone I recognize!"

"Yeah, thank goodness for me." I said. I wasn't able to continue those words for what was going to happen next. "Why are you wearing overalls?"

She could only chuckle embarrassingly. "…Long story."

Looking around as I pushed her away from me, Steiner and Hagen were wavering, Garnet had just stepped up by healing the two with a Cure spell while Vivi was still considering on entering the fray, and the other young knight had just been struck down by Marcus. He stood over the downed knight, who then decided that discretion is the better part of valor and made a poor excuse about a date before scrambling away forgetting his own weapon.

Steiner looked on in shock as now he had been betrayed by two of his own knights. It was now three on one, two clever thieves and a princess going against a trained knight in the arts of swordsmanship. On paper, Steiner would beat them flat, but he was on their turf, one that was trying to escape.

Speaking of escaping…

We have temporarily forgotten about the queen down below and her rallying forces. She had assembled her army's cannons at the side of the castle and commanded to fire. Queen Brahne didn't care about the only two people that are important to her kingdom being on the retreating airship, only the one piece of accessory her daughter had on her. She doesn't care whether she had to get Garnet back alive or get it off her corpse, just getting it mattered.

The cannons fired and shot out harpoons towards the airship that were supposed to pull them back in. The harpoons landed at various locations on the airship like the stage, the hull of the ship, the sides and I think one got stuck on the back. It was partially working with the only problem being that it was a lot more powerful because it had an engine and was probably around half the size of Alexandria's castle.

One of the harpoons fired upon us came close to impaling Alyssa and I if it wasn't for her reflexes. She took me by the collar and pulled me away from the very spot the harpoon would land on, causing me to fall on my butt. I just sat there amazed that I was still alive.

You know what I wasn't amazed to see: The soldier trying to arrest me still trying to arrest me.

"Alright! That is enough! I don't care if I have to drag you out of the wreck this airship will become or not, I AM PUTTING YOU UNDER ARREST!" She stomped her foot and drew her sword once again. Can someone just push her overboard? I'm getting tired of this.

The harpoon cannons then decided to yank of its prey some more, making the airship suddenly shift, causing everyone on it to stumble and fall. That went the same for me and Alyssa, especially Alyssa because she stumbled to the far side of the stage towards the soldier, accidentally knocking her aside and almost caused her to go over. She struggled with her balance for a bit, teetering back and forth continuously, her sword already thrown overboard as she tried to maintain stable footing.

Of course, as irritating this was to me, this girl had to be gone now. I had to get rid of her. So I quickly got up to my feet and pushed her off the stage and the airship effectively. I laughed as I looked down and saw her body plummet down to the body of water separating the castle and the town below. "Who's going to arrest me now? Nobody!" I continued to laugh, glad that the woman cannot bother me anymore. She has been on my case since I got into the play and now it was just satisfying to see her drop away like a rock.

I turned around and fully realized that the fight had paused because of the queen's efforts to stop the kidnappers from escaping. Unfortunately, the only guy providing opposition for the protagonists saw me push the soldier overboard. That meant he saw me laughing at the girl who could have been presumed dead. That meant I just did something VERY wrong.

Crap.

"You! Surrender at once, you murderous coward!" Steiner yelled from the far side of the stage. And here I was hoping that I wouldn't gain more negative publicity than I already have.

"I'm not a coward! She was harassing me!" I yelled back.

"Nevertheless," The Captain straightened his stance just as everyone was recovering. "I will bring back the princess and every single person associated with this crime will be imprisoned."

Alyssa stood right beside me, defiant of Steiner's promise. Zidane, Marcus, Garnet and Vivi stood against the knight, prompting Alyssa to join their ranks, effectively dragging me alongside her much to my enjoyment. I use that term very loosely.

"Who are you guys?" Zidane promptly asked the two of us.

"Blake R. Skylark." I replied. "She's Alyssa…er….something. I don't know her last name."

"Forsyth," Alyssa properly added. "Alyssa Forsyth."

"Forsyth? Really?" I turned to her with just a bit of annoyance written on my face. "Your parents really hated vowels, huh?"

"Look out!" Marcus said, kicking me back to the scenario. I saw Steiner rushing towards me, someone he thinks is more dangerous than two kidnappers because I just accidentally pushed a girl off 20 feet to her (probable) death. I ducked, scrambling away from the captain as fast as I can, as the others jumped back. He stalked me with that giant sword of his as if I was wounded bird. His sword probably seems big because I'm looking at it at an angle.

"Maybe we can talk this out," I tried the easy way, only to have it thrown back to my face when Steiner brought down his sword right where I was a millisecond ago. "Okay, maybe not talk. I know who their boss is. You can arrest THEM, but I get a bit of credit. Deal?"

"Blake!" I heard Alyssa shout, alarmed that I was ready to sell out the group the main protagonist belonged to even before the game's ten minute mark.

"I will never deal with criminals." He stated as he brought down his sword with a downward arc. How is he going to arrest anyone when he is absolutely doing his best to kill his suspects!? Seriously, does anyone here even have rights?

Zidane came swooping down from the top of the fake castle in the backdrop, kicking Steiner in the chest and effectively putting him off my tail momentarily and onto his. Get it? He has a tail and now he's being targeted –Ah screw it.

I ran towards the sword left by Weimar, who has already fled probably to nurse his injured crotch. I tried once again to lift the sword and was once again met with the difficulty of its weight.

"Goddamn this is freaking heavy," I mumbled to myself as I tried numerous ways to get the sword above waist level. Now I'm really regretting even coming onboard when I can't even get a something as simple as a sword up. Why does that sound somewhat sexually perverse and wrong at the same time? Whatever. I didn't care about the chaos happening around me as the Captain of the Pluto Knights dealt with everyone else while the other protagonists, plus Alyssa, were trying their darnest to play defensive.

Then Queen Brahne unleashed the freaking Bomb.

"You have got to be kidding me…." I muttered as I saw the red ball of fire head straight for us. Steiner's back was turned towards the castle when the Bomb made its merry way towards the stage. Zidane and the others noticed the newest developing problem immediately. Then I got the sword to stay steady in my hands. "Yes! Finally!" Everyone in the vicinity thankfully ignored my celebration.

"H-Hey! Look out! There's a bomb behind you!" Marcus warned the knight. He frowned at what he interpreted as a ludicrous statement and did the opposite.

"I will not fall for such an old trick!" He said as he tried to strike down the bandana sporting thief, who only blocked his attempt. The two traded slashes and blocks with each other with the knight gaining the upper hand when the growing sight of the bomb distracted Marcus. Steiner jumped towards Marcus with the hope of either knocking him unconscious or knocking his sword away, but Zidane interfered by pulling his buddy out of harm's way.

"Listen, there's a Bomb right behind you!" Zidane tried pointing to where the Bomb was floating.

"Please Steiner, behind you!" Garnet urged the knight. Of course, Steiner's loyalty was bound only to Alexandria and the royal family so he had nothing to lose when he took the princess's word and turned. But when he took a look behind him, the Bomb floated away from Steiner's line of sight by circling above him. What the—!? That is not supposed to happen. This trickery made the captain furious.

"Agh! You will pay for your treachery!" He pointed his sword to the blond thief to his right. He's the stupid one who fell for it and he had the gall to blame it on someone else. What an idiot. "What did you say!?" He was now looking at me. Crap. Did he just hear that?

"He did." Alyssa answered for me. "Think fast!" I turned to the source of the rushing grunts of Steiner and tried to block his attack with the sword in my hand being supported by my casted hand, but he effortlessly made it fly into the air with one swipe.

"Best two out of three?" I suggested, holding my hands up in surrender, but to no avail. Alyssa then came to my rescue by standing between him and me. "Or fight a girl. As long as it's not me."

"Move aside young lady or I will be forced to take you in along with these criminals." Steiner said lowering his sword for a moment, but went put it back up when he saw that she was armed. "Drop your weapon or I will be forced to take action."

Alyssa did not falter when the threat was issued. "You either turn around or you go through me." Wow. And here I thought she was just going to be useless. "B-Blake! I'm helping you and right now I don't need you thinking I'm useless."

"Very well, miss. Prepare to —" Steiner wasn't able to finish that last sentence when Alyssa lunged at him quickly making him parry the her incoming thrusts. What is happening here? Where the hell did she learn how to fight? Even Zidane and Garnet were taken by surprise by this. Vivi looked on in amazement while Marcus was busy eyeing the Bomb floating above. Steiner was obviously not prepared on handling a teenager who could handle herself in sword fighting. Alyssa gripped the sword with both hands and followed each slash with another, her stance constantly moving in to close the distance between her and the captain.

"Please stop!" Alyssa pleaded to the Captain. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Stop resisting!" That was Steiner's answer. Alyssa didn't look like she was surrendering anytime soon.

Her sword was being operated by such grace with two hands that by itself was impressive to the point of showing off. That's just from my point of view. She's not exactly showing off. You get my point.

It would only take a slight mistake for Steiner to regain control of the fight. Alyssa went for a lunge directed to Steiner's left shoulder. He swerved to the right and struck her sword from below with an upward attack that almost made her lose her footing. She recovered, but Steiner had capitalized and taken the upper hand.

Zidane slipped in-between the two, giving Alyssa a break. Steiner was having a harder time of connecting with his strikes on the blond-haired monkey boy with his agility. I could see a mischievous smile forming on the face of Zidane as well as his lips move to form a taunting statement that made Steiner angrier.

"Hey Vi –" Wait. Hold your tongue. I'm not supposed to know Vivi's name. He hasn't introduced himself to me yet. That includes everyone. Almost screwed up there. "You!" I tried getting the black mage's attention with my shouts and eventually did. He turned his head and tilted his head as if confused that I was talking to him. "Can you help them? They look like they're in trouble."

"Um… I'll try." Vivi squeaked out.

Asking for help from one of the most powerful characters in the game might have been my smartest decision so far, but that only led to my dumbest decision: trying to get across the battle ensuing in the middle. Unfortunately, that help would not be needed after all. Zidane and Steiner were beginning to tire each other out, Alyssa was still trying to catch her breath and Marcus kept shouting at the Bomb for no apparent reason. Maybe he was trying to attract its attention, I don't know. It did grow in two sizes bigger. Anyway, I tried approaching the area Vivi was standing at which happened to be near where Garnet was. That sight of me walking up to the princess incensed the captain of the Pluto Knights, making him change targets.

I only see him approach from the corner of my eye, but it was too late by that point. Steiner had his sword up and was one stroke away from bringing it down on me. What saved me was the Vivi's black magic. In a state of panic, he casted Fire on the knight's armor that made him stop his attack and attempt to put himself out.

Fortunately, Marcus succeeded in attracting the Bomb's interest. As I was tackled by the knight in allegedly rusty armor, he looked up and saw the Bomb looking at him with a great smirk. "No, stay away!" He was swinging his sword at it, trying to swat it or make it go away. No matter how hard he swung, he didn't connect with any of it.

I was dragged away from it by Alyssa, who pulled me up on my feet and proceeded to push me into a corner covered by the fake castle. "Get ready. It's going to blow up," she told me in an unsteady breath.

I was going to say something in the lines of pointing out the obviousness of our current situation, but an explosion cut me off before I could form the words. The sudden fiery hot wave blew me and Alyssa into the wall I could feel that left me breathless upon impact. My back hurt in a lot of places and I feel like I walked in a desert for forty days and nights.

With the Bomb detonating, that meant that the chains attached to the implant harpoons were mostly decimated by the blast which gave the airship a means of escape.

I pulled my head up once we cleared the city gates. I saw everyone who was caught in the blast to be either unconscious or coughing out smoke. Zidane was struggling at getting up, Garnet held onto one of the harpoons as she saw her kingdom slowly fade into the horizon; Marcus, Steiner and Vivi looked like they were out of it. I guess they were in the closest proximity of the explosion and suffered the most damage. At least Garnet thought of giving the three a Cure, which made them stir. Alyssa was also knocked out right behind me. I was going to ask Garnet for some help, but instead I opted to let her rest. She's gonna need it.

From what I know is going to happen next, we all need the rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went through this chapter a few times before posting, but I feel like there might be some missing words, typos, or grammar issues. I would kindly appreciate it if you point them out if you see some. If you have any feedback to share, go ahead and send it. Thanks!


	5. Green as Hell

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 4: Green as Hell

I knew that this airship won't hold for much longer. Soon, it'll plunge down due to some mechanical issues or engine trouble or damage inflicted by the harpoons and the Bomb and crash. We did see part of the ship collapse and blow up as it went down. In a few minutes, we'll be like that part of the ship. Zidane, like the leader that he is, checked if anyone suffered any serious injury from the explosion. I decided to be silent whilst I tried to understand what was happening to me.

Hours earlier, Alyssa and I were struck by lightning while I was at the beach. Then I woke up in the bright streets of Alexandria. After evading the soldiers in a silly chase around town, a mysterious woman hands her ticket to me, which to leads to what happened a few minutes earlier. Where did Alyssa pop up? Why is she wearing a hideously dirty pair of overalls? Not that I'm looking any better. My clothes had various slash marks from my close calls and my tie was still the same. At least I didn't manage to burn part of my head or else I would be screwed.

But back to my inquiries…

Why am I here? How is this even remotely possible? Even if I am supposed to be dreaming, shouldn't have woken up hours ago? If this was a lucid dream brought upon by the trauma of getting struck by lightning then that would be a fantastic excuse, but I don't feel like this is a dream. It's just too real. Am I even alive outside this dream? God, I keep insisting this is a dream but I don't even believe it. I should find another reasonable explanation for this…

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh?" I looked up and saw Zidane waving his hand in front of my face.

"I said, are you okay?" He asked again this time I had my full attention at him.

"Yeah, I think so." The blond haired thief extended a hand. I insisted that I just sit down due to being exhausted. Zidane looked past me and saw the knocked out Alyssa.

"She doesn't look so good." He then dug into one of his pockets and brought out a small vial with a glowing teal colored substance inside. I'm guessing it was a potion. "Give this to her. She'll be alright."

"Thanks," I said before he left to attend to the others. I look over to the girl in question again.

I'm just letting her rest for a moment before hell breaks loose once again. When I was sure that he wasn't looking I pocketed the potion for safe keeping. I don't have any items on me and having one potion on me right now would be very helpful in case I end up alone. Alyssa doesn't need this right now.

Then the ship dropped for a second before managing to slow down their descent and back into a steady float.

Screw this, I'm going to find something to hang on to. Good thing there was one of the harpoons still impaled near the side of the stage. It looked like it was still secure. I'll just grab onto it and I won't fly off when this thing crash lands. Now, which side do I hang on to?

Wait. Should I wake up Alyssa?

…

Nah, she's fine. If she can handle a sword fight with a skilled swordsman then she can survive a thirty foot plunge down to the ground. It's not like she doesn't have the airship to cushion her fall or anything.

Then the ship dropped again and this time it was not staying up. It happened while I was approaching the harpoon and it was so sudden that I was not able to prepare for it. This propelled me into the harpoon face first as the others screamed in panic. The airship descended faster than I had expected, dividing the clouds as it dove down. I could see an area with a thick layer of green down below almost grayed out by the darkness. That was where Baku, the leader of Tantalus, was aiming for a sudden crash landing as per the storyline. I hope we can get through this part without losing anything serious.

I adjusted myself against the harpoon, holding onto the side as if my life depended on it. Right in the corner of my eye was Alyssa stirring from unconsciousness. She was disoriented, shaking off cobwebs while most of us were busy minding the increase of acceleration of the ship's descent and the closing gap between us and the ground. I was going to tell her to hold on, only for the airship to collide with the ground. After that everything went black.

-FF FF FF-

So this must be how it feels to be thrown off an airship. Because everything hurt so much! My back, my arms, my head, everything hurt... Excruciating pain... God someone call an ambulance…

I opened my eyes with a groan to see tall trees overshadowed by the darkness. I could barely see a thing in here. I craned my neck slowly to the left and to the right and only saw trees and bushes, a pair of never ending paths of trees and bushes. The combination of soil and rocks against my back weren't that all comforting either. I couldn't hear anything in particular except for the occasional cricket, so it was eerily silent.

The Evil Forest, a hellish hunting ground of plants and various beasts. I know there are other places that could be described as that, but there was no place for me that had a thirty foot mother plant that is the root of all evil in this place.

Heh, root of all evil. How long did it take you to figure out that I'll make a plant pun?

This is no time to be making jokes. I should get moving, though that is easier said than done. Right now I feel like I'm in the same position as I was when I broke my arm, except for the wailing and the surrounding riot around me when it actually happened. Shaking away that past painful memory, I crawled up on all fours and tried to stand. Thankfully nothing else was broken, just the feeling of everything being sore.

Guess I wasn't able to hang onto that harpoon as well as I could, and thanks to that I was propelled off the ship somewhere into this forest. In hindsight, it was a pretty bad idea. I mean, who would even think that a harpoon stabbed into a flying airship's makeshift stage would hold and help you not get thrown off a crash landing ship. I did and it did not end well. Now I'm in the middle of a forest that is filled with monsters that could very well be hiding behind every bush in the vicinity.

I should get going. I could see a very dim light towards the west. Maybe that is where the ship landed. "Better get started then." I said to myself as I began limping towards the light.

The sounds of dirt, rocks and the occasional twig crunching underneath my feet followed me as I walked the dark path I found myself on. At least that added to the variety of what I am currently hearing. Aside from those things, it's pretty silent. The knowledge that everyone else was somewhere in this horrid place was not really comforting. You know what else wasn't comforting? Walking around unarmed and practically one-handed. Living in this world and surviving are two different things and I like to survive because that means I get to live, and when I get to live, I'm happy.

Speaking of surviving, when did Alyssa learn how to fight like that? It looked like she handled that sword pretty well. No, not pretty well. Beyond well actually, like she was showing off even if that wasn't the case. From how she fought off Steiner, I would guess she either knows fencing or some kind of Asian fighting style. Who knows? I sure don't. I'll have to demand an answer when I find her.

_*CRUNCH*_

"Who's there!?" I shout, turning to where the noise came from. Maybe it wasn't wise to shout in the middle of a place called Evil Forest, but that slipped my mind momentarily. Nothing responded. I just stood there staring at the spot where the sound came from for a minute thinking that maybe something would come out if I didn't move. Well, that was a minute well spent. I must be hearing things; one of the effects of probably having a concussion received from being thrown off a flying airship.

I continued trekking down that path towards the dim light. You know, I think the more that I insist on going to this light, the more that it feels like I'll never reach it. I mean it doesn't look like fire and I'm pretty sure that Tantalus has already put out the remaining fires in the airship. Zidane is probably out here looking for any other survivors. I should just wait here until I see the blonde thief with a similarly colored tail walk by and ask for directions. That's a smart choice.

A smart choice until I heard the low growl behind one of the trees.

Crap, crap, crap, crap. I don't have anything on me to help defend myself. Not that anything would help. Did you see how I dealt with a fight twenty minutes ago? I can't talk a Fang out of eating my organs because of a huge language barrier and I can't fight even if my cast was made of metal. There was only one choice left for me…and this time it wasn't kicking it in the groin.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I bolted toward the east, not caring if I was going away from my assumed destination as long as I don't get eaten. I turned my head to take a look behind me and saw the predator taking chase. It was not just one Fang covered with musty dark brown fur that has large fangs waiting to tear me apart, but three Fangs of the same description. "FUCK! STAY BACK!"

I am in so much deep shit right now.

I should have known shouting was a terrible idea. But what did I do? I shouted and now here I am fleeing from a pack of Fangs all because they heard me shout. Curse you beasts and your improved sense of hearing. It's unfair that humans have regular senses when things that operate on instinct alone have better ones. At least we have brains, right? WRONG! Logic and intelligence may have gotten us far in the world, but that doesn't mean we weren't full of idiotic mistakes. I bet if we operated on instinct alone, we wouldn't have had World Wars.

Wait. Why am I ranting when I should be focusing on running?

I took a sharp right behind one of the trees I was approaching and ran for a few more meters before turning left. The Fangs quickly reacted to my turn and soon followed my way. Even if I turned left and right, the Fangs would always manage to catch up. The more I tried, the more the Fangs just want to rip my head off. I really need to lose them if I want to stay alive.

Then I got an idea. I took a left and headed straight for a thorny looking bush with Fangs trailing close by. I wanted them to get close enough to think they're gonna get me. With that bush getting closer and closer, I waited until one of the Fangs thought that it could nibble on my pants. Then I jumped over the bush. They didn't expect that so they got caught up in the bush, all three of them tangled up with each other and desperately trying to get out.

But even when I got away from those beasts I wasn't safe just yet. To further demonstrate that fact, I got whacked in the face by a low tree branch.

"SON OF A BITCH THAT HURT!" Just so you know it connected with my mouth. I covered my mouth as hard as I could as I shouted obscenities and stomped on the ground, muffling them to the best of my efforts so I don't attract any more attention.

"Nice jump." I heard someone say. I hastily turned to where the voice came from with the intent of running coming into mind. It was Zidane.

"Thank goodness you're not another Fang." I gave a sigh of relief. I was trying to breathe in air due to all the running and panicking I was doing. Then I realized what he just said. "You saw that?"

"Every bit." He nodded.

"Then why the hell did you not help?"

"I thought you were doing fine. But next time, maybe fighting them would be a better idea," suggested the thief.

"Thanks. I'll take that into consideration next time when I have a weapon." While I was busy snarking with Zidane, I noticed some movement from the corner of my eye. Unfortunately, it was from the same three Fangs I thought would stay entangled in that bush. Sure they looked scratched up and bleeding, but that didn't mean that they didn't want to eat me more. Another consolation for those scratches for them is that someone ordered another main course to go with their current order.

Zidane stepped forward and pulled out both of his daggers. He twirled them around before assuming a battle stance. "Get behind me."

"No need to tell me twice," I replied. I put as much distance between me and Zidane before the fight started.

One of the Fangs tried testing out the waters by slowly walking to the side with its eyes narrowed at its target. Zidane stood still but remained attentive to his surroundings. Then one of the other Fangs lunged straight at him. Zidane reacted as much like he expected it to happen as he ducked it. The first Fang that moved and the last one tried following up on its brethren's tactic by circling the thief, making him the center of a beast sandwich. They simultaneously charged their target and jumped hoping that they could get their claws on him, but he just rolled away from them. That was when Zidane took charge.

He hopped over the second Fang he dodged, took a slice on it from midair and stabbed it on his way down. It gave out a low growl before collapsing to the ground. Great, that's one down. The first Fang tried to avenge its fallen brethren by lunging at the blond thief. He managed to stop it from chewing any part of his body by using his daggers and pushed it away and caused it to land on its back. With the Fang trying to get back to a vertical base, Zidane merely jumped towards it and cut it on its side. It fell on its uncut side, making Zidane chuckle.

_‘No need to be smug about killing a werewolf-esque creature.’_ I thought to myself, unimpressed.

The last Fang and Zidane circled each other as if waiting for the other to make a move. "Oh for the love of god, just kill it already!" I shouted. My voice was the perfect distraction for the Fang as it turned its attention to me. That was not my intention. Though Zidane picked up on this quickly by implanting both of his daggers on its side all the while the Fang gave him a ride.

"Geez, why can't he just stab it in the face and get it over with?" I wondered to myself as I rolled my eyes at Zidane playing horsey with the Fangs.

Of course, I should have paid attention a lot more because I saw the other Fang slowly rising from where it was slumped. Its large cut on the side was oozing blood, but not oozing fast enough. As it balanced itself on its four feet, it focused its dark eyes at me with ferocity that it began to bark. It jumped at me suddenly like it hadn't even got cut up, managing to catch me under its grasp, trapping me underneath it.

"Gah! The hell…?!" I gasped as it growled at me. It was foaming at the mouth, perhaps from the thought that it managed to have a meal before it dies. Gross…Ah, it's salivating on my cheek. Just fantastic...

Before it could get a decent bite out of my lovely face, I raised both of my knees with enough force to spill some more of its blood from the cut, stunning it momentarily so I could kick it away from me. "Alright, screw you!" I pointed to the injured Fang as I shouted. I then turned my heel and started to run.

"Where are you going!?" Zidane inquired as he finally got tired of the ride he was getting from the Fang.

"What does it look like? I'm running!" I'm pretty sure that he could not make anything out of that statement because I was already far away as my legs would carry me. The Fang tried to eat me unsuccessfully tried its best to give chase, but it collapsed due to blood loss. Well that was what I was assuming anyway. That still does not stop me from just getting away from that area.

I spent the next whole minute covering as much ground as I could while jumping over bushes and continuously getting hit in the face by branches. It seems like nothing is trying to pursue me anymore. That's a relief. But I still haven't found the airship. I swear it could have been because this was the direction Zidane came from. Maybe he took a turn somewhere and I probably missed that turn or maybe I've been running around in circles. This is what you get for running.

"WHOA!" I was too busy checking if anything was chasing me that I didn't see that I collided with something rather solid and soft. Wait. Flans don't appear in this part of the world and I'm pretty sure that this is not a tree.

"What the…?" I shook my head and tried to focus.

"…Sounds…familiar." It spoke. Oh god, it can talk. Wait. "…who..?"

"Alyssa?" With the dim lighting in this whole forest, except for a part of this poor forest where the path to the boss is slightly illuminated by the moon, I could barely visualize the girl I was laying on top of. And as soon as I realized the full meaning of that train of thought, I jumped up to my feet and proceeded to shake the feeling of dirtiness off of me.

"Blake, thank goodness you're alive." Alyssa sighed as she stood and tried to put me in an embrace, only to be sidestepped.

"Don't do that. I'm already dirty, as we speak."

"Where are we?" She asked while looking around.

"In a forest. I hope your skills of observation weren't damaged along with your brain when you flew off the ship." I gestured to the entire area. "Haven't you figured it out yet? We're in Final Fantasy IX and right now we're in the Evil Forest."

"I'm a little bit shaken." I could tell. I noticed that she was carrying a sword in one of her hands. Thankfully that didn't stab me we when collided. "But how is that possible? We got struck by lightning and now we're in a game. How does that happen?"

"Do I look like I know the answer? For all I know, I'm just dreaming."

" _YOU'RE_ dreaming?" Her emphasis on me sounded like she was challenging the fact that I just said.

"Of course," The story is indeed in my perspective. "You know, like Inception. All I need is something to wake me up."

"That fall from the sky not enough for you?" I heard her say, but I ignored it.

"I'm sure that I'll just wake up in the van when this is all done or if something does that. We'll still be on our way to the beach, hopefully not, and I would still be sleep depraved."

"I think you're not dreaming. Neither of us is dreaming." Alyssa concluded. "This feels as real as it could get."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Keep dreaming. I'm sticking to what I just said."

We weren't so much in agreement, but we both felt eerily uncomfortable standing in the middle of this forest. "We should move."

"Smartest thing you've said all day" I said. "I'll lead. You watch our backs." She raised an eyebrow at my orders like she didn't trust my logic. "You're armed, I'm not. We could get attacked from behind by Fangs or Goblins. If they attack us from the front, I'll just simply turn you around so you can fight them." She had the weirdest look of puzzlement I have ever seen on anyone. Maybe I should have worded that a little bit better. "Just follow my lead."

I stomped on ahead with no clue of what direction to go. Alyssa was only a few steps behind me as she looked around cautiously for any signs of movement from anything hostile. There hadn't been anything that came to attack us just yet, and thankfully the only things we could hear were our footsteps and the occasional owl and cricket.

It had been quite a few minutes since I saw Zidane and right now I bet he had already found Steiner, Vivi and Princess Garnet as they are confronting the Prison Cage now. I'm hoping that they do because I am not really going to be helpful in a fight. Alyssa can go help if she wants, but me, I can't. What do you expect me to do, throw my shoes at it until it surrenders? Even if I did throw my shoes at it I would not be able to do it properly because my throwing hand is wrapped in a cast and it would leave me without any footwear. That means that any useful skill I could do in a battlefield is severely handicapped.

Thankfully the path we were walking on got slightly brighter. Maybe we were on the right track anyway. Then I felt Alyssa grab on my shoulder. "Wait. There's something here."

A rustling of leaves could be heard around us. We were standing back to back, looking left and right for any kind of movement around us, but nothing was there. I then became aware that we should not be looking around us, but above us.

"Watch out!" Alyssa came to the same conclusion as me almost at the same time as she pushed me away and she jumped away from the spot we were standing on. The thing occupying it now is a lone Goblin, armed with only a knife that was as long as it's arm that curves inward at the top. With its big pointy ears, scrawny figure, filthy pink cap, tattered vest and makeshift white kilt, it looked at the both of us as if trying to decide which to go for first.

"All yours," I said to Alyssa as I ducked out of the fight and opted to just stand on the sidelines.

Alyssa readied herself and raised her sword just above her waist while the Goblin did not hesitate on going for the kill early on. She parried the Goblin's attempt by setting her sword horizontally with both hands, pushed it away and started thrusting her sword at it.

She did not focus on just one point of the Goblin's body as she kept going, often switching from swinging at its feet and going for the arms, but it could only barely defend itself from the onslaught. When the Goblin saw an opening, he took a wild swing at the apparently experienced swordswoman, only to be blocked. Alyssa then sent the Goblin's sword flying into a tree trunk with a twirl of her weapon.

"Great, now finish it off." I told her as I went for the Goblin's sword. Now I'll be able to defend myself if I need to. Though now I have a new problem. Will I be able to pull this thing out?

"Wh-what?" I heard her voice shake.

"Finish it off. You know, stab it, kill it, slash its throat, decapitate, murder, knock it out permanently, or send it to hell! Whichever you prefer!" I answered without even looking as I tried to get a firm grip on the hilt on the sword before trying to pull.

"…I can't."

"What?" There was a bit of exasperation in my voice when I automatically turned to her and answered. "You have to kill it. If your roles were reversed, it would not even stop to think of NOT killing you. I mean, look at it." I pointed to the defenseless enemy in front of her. It was holding its hands up in surrender just because it didn't have a weapon anymore. "It will attack again. Now hurry up before it makes up it starts to think that you're not going to kill it."

"…B-but…I can't just…take a life." Why is she suddenly contemplating that all life is important? She was fine fighting it, but she can't end the fight because of a little blood? Come on.

This is easy to me to say since I'm not the one fighting, but you should know that if you're stuck in a fantasy world, may it be a dream or not, you'll have to fight. That is why I have kept dodging every opportunity to fight since I got here.

"Just kill it before it attacks –" I was interrupted mid-sentence as the Goblin finally used our argument as an opportunity to strike with a Goblin Punch. It knocked Alyssa against one of the trees standing behind her.

"Crap." I muttered as the Goblin approached Alyssa whilst I pulled on the stuck knife. She hit her head pretty hard with that cheap shot and is currently unable to defend herself. The Goblin picked up Alyssa's sword and examined it, trying to see if it was fit to replace his old sword. It was just an ordinary sword used by a Knight of Pluto, so it is nothing special. Alyssa had recovered from the shot, but sat there with her eyes wide as the Goblin prepared to cut her open, now defenseless.

I had to provide a distraction, but what?

I threw a pebble at the Goblin's head, much to my surprise. "HEY!" My mouth just opened on its own and shouted at the Goblin. It turned around slowly at me and stared at me with a menacing look on its face.

"Yeah, you! Are you just going to hit a girl? How pathetic!" I continued picking pebbles off the ground and throwing at it. I don't even know if it can understand what I was saying, but what I do know is that I had its attention. I could feel my knees shake slightly as I took a step back while taunting the beast..

The Goblin didn't take lightly to my rocky barrage. He finally turned all of his attention to me, glaring at me wordlessly. "What are you going to do, kill me? Please, I'd rather be tortured." The front of confidence I was trying to desperately display right now is slowly collapsing with each step the Goblin took. I mean, who would even try to taunt an approaching enemy when you're unarmed and outclassed – yes I have been outclassed by a wild Goblin. Only an idiot would do that and I am not, by any means, an idiot.

Come on Alyssa, save the day. Here's your chance.

"You know what," I said to the Goblin, who did not care anymore as he readied the sword for a single attack. "I'm going to turn around. Wake me up when you've killed me." And I turned around, my back now facing the armed Goblin just a few seconds away from it stabbing me. I was sweating so much that I thought I was going to die of dehydration. Maybe I didn't think this through. The only thing I could do now is shut my eyes and count the seconds away before I'm dead.

5…

4…

3….Here it comes.

2…

1…

….

Odd, nothing's happened yet.

I opened my eyes and looked down. All I could see is the dirt on my white shirt, along with the black vest still buttoned on top of it, and my charred tie. No sword impaling me through the chest. I turned around and saw a fallen Goblin on the ground and Alyssa holding onto the knife that was supposed to be embedded into a tree trunk. Almost half of the blade had a liquid dripping down to the sharp edge pointing downwards.

So she did it. She killed the Goblin.

"Finally," I sighed, relieved. "I thought you were just going to let me die."

"I…killed it." That was the only thing she managed to say as she looked down on the Goblin. She looked pale as a sheet.

"Yes, you did. Bravo." I clapped a few times to further emphasize my point. I was proud of her, in a way, which she managed to do it and get me out of the situation I dug myself out of. At least that just adds to her experience. Thought that doesn't look like it because she looked sick. "Come on, you'll be alright. Suck it up. It's nothing to cry about."

"…Easy for you to say," She was still looking down on the ground with her voice as low as possible. Only the silence of the forest allowed me to hear it.

"It was either me or it and you picked me. You wouldn't be alive if I didn't distract it." True, but she would have not done that if I just killed it instead. Too bad I didn't like dirtying my hands.

Alyssa could only look away, appearing almost pitiful. Then she ran to the side and knelt beside and tree and started wrenching. Fantastic, just fantastic. "You alright?"

She stayed like that for a few more moments after she stopped throwing up. "Fine."

"Great." I picked up the sword the Goblin took from Alyssa and approached the sick looking girl. "Give me the knife." We exchanged weapons after she stood up and wiped her mouth with her overalls. Well, at least I'm armed now.

I decided to loot the dead Goblin for its items thinking that it would be useful. I only got two vials of potion from my search, and as consolation, the sheath I removed from its belt to which I attached to mine. Pleasure doing business with you, sir Goblin.

"Don't you have any respect for the dead?" Alyssa came up and asked me with a frown.

"Believe me, this is as much respect I am willing to give to them ever." I replied upon standing. I handed her one of the vials and pocketed the other for safe keeping. "If anyone kills me, I will be okay with it if they loot my corpse because I know I don't have anything important on me."

Then a bright pinkish light shone in the far north, as if the gods had had enough of their fun and wanted us to finally get a move on, a signal of hope for the two of us to follow. "That's Zidane going Trance!" Alyssa stated in surprise. "That's where everyone is." We looked at each other and nodded. That is where we needed to go.

"Alright, let's go." Both of us broke into a full on sprint towards the location of Zidane's pink Trance-formation, glad that we now know where we are going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for chapter 4. If you have any thoughts or feedback for this chapter, I'd like to know.


	6. Can't Get any Greener Than This

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 5: Can't Get Any Greener than This

Alyssa and I ran straight into the area Zidane went into Trance and we felt that we were getting close with each step we took. Then we started hearing shouting, grunting and weapons smashing against what I think is thick skin. Steiner's voice was the loudest of them all with him screaming "PRINCESS!" or "HOLD ON, YOUR HIGHNESS!" I'm surprised that he hasn't attracted an entire pack of Fangs.

The girl running behind me had now looked less likely to throw up again since taking down her first monster, or as I'd rather prefer as her first murder. Well, she treated it like it was her first murder as if she killed a human being despite the fact that what she killed looked like a pseudo-elf or something, but that's not the point. Now she looks ready to fight again, and hopefully would be willing to land the killing blow.

We arrived just outside the area of the fight. I looked over to Alyssa for a moment as I pulled the knife out of my newly acquired sheath. "Ready?" I asked in a hushed voice. She simply twirled her sword and nodded.

"Ha-zah!" I declared while pointing my new knife to my front when I broke through some of the branches and into the ongoing battle. I looked to my left and right and saw Zidane and Steiner now looking over to us. "Oh, it's just you guys." I faked my disappointment and dropped my weapon to my side.

"What's that!?" Alyssa pointed to the thing standing right in front of us. I guess she figured out what I was doing, and she sounded naturally surprised at that.

What stood in front of us was the Prison Cage. Dark brown scales as its skin, a pair of tentacles with small spikes at the end, ready to slap you around or maim you or probably both, a big, spherical center with a mouth puckered up at the front, two spike-laden things that could be barely called as feet and its main attraction, the cage on top of its head convulsed like a beating heart that is composed of hard leaves and resembled an onion. Inside its cage was Princess Garnet, who sat there helplessly like any damsel in distress.

"It is holding the princess captive!" Steiner stated as he pointed at the monster with his sword.

"Yes, we can see that." I remarked with a mocking tone. The Captain was obviously glaring at me for such a statement.

"Why are you shining?" Alyssa referred this statement to Trance-ified Zidane, shining brightly in a pink light.

"He just explained what this is. He called it Trance." Zidane answered and pointed to Steiner with his thumb.

"I think I read about Trance somewhere, but I don't seem to remember when." Alyssa said, making the need of an explanation entirely moot. If you did not know what Trance is, it is a state where the user is overcome by a surge of emotion, therefore increasing the person's power and giving them special abilities and such. So I guess Zidane now knows what it actually is.

"Well, now we'll see what I can do with this," chuckled the thief before he charged at Prison Cage and was followed by Steiner. Alyssa intended to join in, but I held my good arm out to stop her. I gave her a look that said 'we are not needed yet' to which she understood.

The monster took a swipe at Zidane with one of its tentacles and missed as he swerved to the side easily with his newfound power and agility. Steiner had to block the incoming stem with his sword before attempting to slice it. Zidane slashed Prison Cage twice on its center before jumping back as it retaliated with its other stem. It didn't hit its intended target, but it did catch Steiner as Zidane jumped over it. He just continuously hit and dodged for a solid half-minute before Prison Cage grabbed him by the arm and tossed him in the general direction of Steiner, knocking both men down right in front of us.

Zidane's Trance form looked very, very odd up close and in person. I know that during the transformation his clothes turned into pink fur for some weird reason. It would have been better if he kept his clothes, but if that's how he wants it then go ahead and transform like you've been just birthed in this world. Still it was peculiar to see something in person. Thankfully, it covered the parts that would be unpleasant to see in public. I believe Alyssa has the same sentiments when it comes to this, though that wasn't evident when I looked over to her when I could see her blushing a bit. I gave her an incredulous look and rolled my eyes.

Prison Cage took enough damage to necessitate the usage of its primary skill. It brought its stems up to the level of its cage and touched it. The tips of the stem began to glow and a purple light enveloped Garnet. It was absorbing her energy and there was nothing we could do.

"I heard Trance gives people special skills." I said with a passing glance at the thief. "Maybe you should try that before it kills the princess."

"Alright," he nodded. "Give me some cover." I gave Alyssa the 'go' look and she took off towards the monster alongside Steiner. Zidane stood by with his arms drawn out to his side as he began to concentrate his energy into an attack.

Something's missing here. I looked around and saw a cowering black mage right by a small stream. A small stream… I should have remembered that a small stream leads to this place and eventually to the boss. Curse me and my momentary memory lapse. I am mentally kicking myself right now as I speak.

"What are you doing? You're not going to help them?" Zidane glanced at me as he focused.

"Just waiting for an opportune time to strike," I told him while I sheathed my knife and continued observing. Vivi was still down by the stream, perhaps trying to build up the courage to walk on over or participate in the fight. Either way it was still going to take him a long time.

The two swords…er…people – is there another collective for people who know how to handle swords that starts with 'sword'? – ran at the plant with their swords grasped tightly by both hands as they blocked a stem at the same time and stabbed it on two different spots. Alyssa's sword went into the top of the monster's lip and was withdrawn a second later while Steiner inflicted a wound somewhere on the side. I could picture Alyssa looking horrified at what she did before she was hit by Prison Cage's tentacle-looking limb as Steiner defended against a one-stem onslaught. He got hit a few times, but he's determined to rescue Garnet and he'll do that because he can.

Zidane moved from his position, jumped up and pointed his fist at Prison Cage. "Get out of the way!" He shouts at the knight. When he turned around, his eyes widened as he saw Zidane about to unleash his attack and immediately dived to the side.

"Free Energy!" The thief called out his attack and around five pulses of energy collided with the Prison Cage. The power of the attack and the resulting impact was so hard that it fell on its back.

That's the opportunity I was waiting for.

"Great! Hit it again!" I took out my knife with my left hand and jumped into the fight. Alyssa was a little disoriented, but was still fine and Steiner looked a bit surprised at the attack from Zidane. I jumped on Prison Cage and went to town on it, stabbing it continuously on its supposed face, grunting hard with each action. Knife-play may not be my area of expertise, so I just do what any man in a fighting situation armed with a knife would do. I swear this is the most action my left arm has ever experienced in its entire existence. What I was doing was a bit vicious, yet it's the only thing I could do.

Tired of being on the receiving end of this barrage of attacks, it swiped me off of its face and got back up. It was raising its stems up to the cage once again to absorb some energy from the princess, but Zidane denied it of that. He once again unleashed his Free Energy skill much quicker than the last time and it took the monster by surprise that it didn't even get a chance to get a drop of energy from Garnet.

That was when Zidane dropped to one knee when he felt the power of Trance vanish from him with another flash of pink light as the fatigue just stacked came crashing down on him. Okay, he has his clothes back on. It looked like the Prison Cage was about to plop down to the ground, only to take us off-guard with a single swipe of its stem. It reached upwards to the tree branches and pulled itself out of the area with its prisoner still captive.

"Princess!? PRINCESS!" Shouted the Captain of the Pluto Knights. It only echoed throughout the forest plainly and did not get a response.

"What the heck? Where did it go?" Zidane loudly wondered as he looked upwards.

"Maybe it got scared and ran away." Alyssa absently replied.

"Well, we were beating it pretty bad." I added.

"She's gone…" Vivi muttered loud enough for us to hear. We all turned to him and saw the sadness underneath the shadow made by his hat. Wait. How does that work? As I pondered on that thought, he walked past us and checked the path. "I was too scared to cast any spells… That monster's probably going to eat her."

"Or suck the nutrients out of her." I commented, eliciting a punch to the arm by Alyssa for making such a ridiculous statement. I could feel Steiner's gaze intensify at my direction already.

"How could I let this happen!?" The knight was shaking his fists as he spoke, taking the loss very hard.

"We did our best, sir." Alyssa tried to comfort him. Emphasis on 'tried'.

"Don't worry. She's not dead yet." Zidane confidently said to all of us, especially Steiner. "That monster was only a minion. He's probably gonna take her to his master."

"That means the princess might still be – Come!" With Steiner's hope revitalized, he started going down the path toward the boss. "We must go find her at once!" Alyssa and I shared a look; hers was worry while mine was a raised eyebrow. I was counting the seconds away before the next story event happened.

As if on cue, Prison Cage came back from the trees above and imprisoned Vivi this time. "WHOA!" That was all he could manage as the plant mutant set itself down on the ground. Everyone else withdrew their weapon and was immediately in their respective battle stance, except for me since I stepped back and tried to circle around it.

This Prison Cage was obviously not the same one we encountered thirty seconds ago. There were no stab or cut marks on it, especially the one stab Alyssa got on its lip. This one is brand new, fully rested and just raring to go. And here I was thinking all those times I played this game that the first one and the second one is the same thing, only to be proved wrong here.

"Help!" Vivi called out from the cage. In a state of panic, he accidentally used a fire spell on the monster. We heard it screech somewhat painfully as it moved out of its spot and tried putting out the fire on its body with its stems. "Fire seems effective," stated the black mage.

"Keep doing it, Vivi!" Zidane said. I saw Vivi nod as the other ready themselves in a formation. I've already managed to get behind Prison Cage while Zidane probably caught on to what I was doing as he told Steiner and Alyssa to go left and right respectively. All of us surrounded it in four directions as Vivi stayed focus on the task at hand. We all looked at each other quickly as the Prison Cage stayed in place for a moment, until we all charged at it.

We did not expect it be ready for such a tactic for it took hold of a tree branch from above and pulled itself above, dodging our collective attack and making all of us collide at the middle. It dropped back down due to a fire spell from Vivi. It rolled on the ground in pain in order to put out the flames on its body, equally rattling its prisoner with his moves. I thought that this would be easy with an assist from Vivi, even if you could categorize my attack as kicking the thing while its down, as I ran up to it and try my earlier manic stabbing technique, only to be smacked away as it flailed around.

You know what would have been useful here? Steiner's Sword Art abilities would count as one. Too bad he does not have a skill attributed to that category of attacks at this time. He does not let that bother him as he cut at Prison Cage's rough skin with his sword. Alyssa followed his example by ducking under its incoming stem and took a slice on his back. Zidane jumped over his armored pseudo-companion and stabbed it right near the top of its center. At that brief moment, he gives Vivi a comforting look that lets the young spell caster at ease.

Prison Cage lets out a screech that disorients everyone close to it and it uses that time to take everyone off of him for a moment. It put its stems up and drains Vivi of his energy as quick as everyone took to get to their feet. Wow, that was fast. This one knows how to handle numbers and knows that haste does not make waste. I think this one is much smarter than the last one.

How long has it been since this fight started? "I would guess 15 minutes." Alyssa answered for me. Really? It felt like it has been going on for about an hour. How tough can a plant monster be? I mean, this would have been over before this paragraph even started if we were fighting the same one. That earlier one would have been softened up by Zidane's attacks and Vivi would have been set free ages ago.

"This isn't working," Zidane said to us after being thrown towards our direction. He, Alyssa and I were huddled together discussing this thing while Steiner was busy freeing Vivi by himself. I believe he has not yet noticed what we were doing.

"You know what we need, a plan." I suggested. Then I looked up to the girl beside me and said the following. "Okay, I have an idea. The next time it tries to absorb energy, someone jump on it and try to cut open the cage."

"Isn't that a little risky?" I narrowed my eyes at the thief for his little disagreement.

"You know what's risky? Throwing shoes at it and hoping that would do the trick. That's risky." I took a breath and calmed myself down before continuing. "The only problem is picking who would be crazy enough to do it."

"Why not you?" Alyssa suggested.

"What? No." I snorted dismissively. "I'm a thinker, not a fighter."

"Then what do you call what you did earlier?"

"I saw an opportunity and took it." I said without missing a beat. Then I looked over to Zidane. "Think you have what it takes to do it?"

He thought about it for a moment and looked at the ensuing battle behind us as he did. Steiner did well despite being alone in the battlefield, inflicting some cuts on the monster while he was alone. Maybe with us not being distractions he is able to fully concentrate on the task at hand. Well, that was before Prison Cage took his sword away, pulled himself up a tree and used it to support itself as it slammed itself on the knight with all its weight.

"I'll take a shot at it." Zidane finally decided.

"Great. Alyssa, you be the distraction." I told the girl. "Go help that knight. I'll stay over here and just watch." Zidane had already scurried off behind a few trees while Alyssa walked to the battlefield grumbling something under her breath.

Prison Cage jumped off the knight when it saw Alyssa approach with her sword in her hands. It did not hesitate attacking with its stems, both she ducked under by rolling towards Steiner's sword. She tossed it to the downed knight as she continued to avoid the plant monster's attacks. With its back turned to him, Steiner took his sword back, got up and stabbed it. He pulled his sword out before he got caught by Vivi's fire magic.

It dodged Alyssa and Steiner's combined attack by going up high on the trees once again and dropped down with a spinning attack that hit both its targets. Now that's a first. It took that opportunity to drain the black mage of his energy, but before it could get started on it Zidane came from out of nowhere and jumped on its cage like an octopus to an unsuspecting human. That wasn't the end of that surprise as I found another opportunity and came in with my knife, stabbing it a few times as it tried to pry Zidane off of it. I retreated back before it could get its slimy stems on me.

Seeing that Vivi had so much energy drained from him, Zidane handed him a vial of potion before moving on to the cage. Alyssa was busy distracting it by feinting attacks and practicing other evasive maneuvers alongside Steiner. I thought it was going to be easy for Zidane to cut open a cage composed of rotten leaves, but apparently it was made of rock hard rotten leaves. The look on his face as he did this was astonishment and frustration. Of course, he wasn't able to finish at least one when Prison Cage grabbed him by the leg and used him as a stick to defend itself against Alyssa and Steiner. Vivi saved his hide when he casted another fire spell on it.

Then I had an idea. "Cut the stems off!" I shouted, pointing to the tentacle-esque limbs. They all looked at me as if trying to tell me to elaborate. Why did I not think of this sooner? "If you cut those off, then it won't be able to absorb energy anymore."

Everyone must have understood what I had just said because they went and ran with an impromptu plan in mind. It must have been because they saw Prison Cage trying to absorb energy again, but were stopped by Zidane and Steiner who pulled on the stems as hard as they could so it would not touch with the cage. Alyssa went for the stem being pulled by Steiner connected with three chops. It made its mark right near the center with a large cut.

Zidane lost control on his stem and avoided disaster by diving to the side. Alyssa jumped over the stem and finished off the other one with one mighty downward cut. Although it was cut, that did not mean it was not going to slap you silly, which Alyssa found out when the stump just hit her on the face. Vivi's fire spell once again drew attention away from the rescuers while Steiner cut the other stem clean off with one mighty slash.

Great! Now with that done, Prison Cage is now incapable of absorbing energy. It stood pitifully in the middle of the three, now defenseless with the only feature he has is the cage, which is still useless if it can't escape. Maybe it could run. I wouldn't find out as it was on the receiving end of a slash-filled throwdown as it got stabbed, slashed, scratched, and sliced by the ends of Alyssa, Steiner and Zidane's weapons. Zidane got the last hit as he pushed both daggers in it and made sure it didn't move anymore with a kick.

As it stood there, unmoving and pretty much dead, the cage on top of its head opened and finally released Vivi. He climbed off the thing and took a few steps away before adjusting his hat.

"Phew…Th-Thanks…" Vivi managed to say after that kind of experience. The main characters were gathering right in the vicinity of the dead Prison Cage and I knew what was going to happen next. I took Alyssa by the arm and pulled her away from the apparent range of the gas that will spew out of the dead plant. She looked like she knew it too if her apparent three playthroughs of this game made it more obvious.

"Are you alright?" Zidane asked the probably traumatized black mage.

"Yeah, I think so." He replied as he checked for any physical injuries.

…And plant poison spewage!

…

Huh!? It did not happen. What the hell!? It was supposed to be that Prison Cage lets out plant viruses for the party to catch, except for Zidane. Vivi and Steiner should be unconscious right now! This is not how it should be.

I could feel Alyssa worriedly looking at me, but before she could say anything a group of Fangs and Goblins jumped out from behind, taking me and Alyssa by surprise. She turned on her heel suddenly, accidentally elbowing me to the side and knocked me off-balance. Because of this, I bumped into Steiner hard enough to knock the guy into the ground.

Then, as if the universe wanted to remind me of my horrible luck, Prison Cage released its plant virus with me and Vivi directly in front of it. I did not have time to register that sequence of events in my head before I suddenly felt myself resting on the ground.

"Hey!" It was Zidane's voice. "This is no….time….to…sleep." His warped words were the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

-FF FF FF-

Feeling drowsy….nauseated… Everything looked like I was looking at a kaleidoscope version of the world. Up was down, left was right, faces looked like blurred images, messed up visuals like the original personal computer. I can't even remember what its name was. I was trying my best not to throw up, trying hard not to hurl out my guts. That's very difficult to do when you feel like you were being hoisted up and down repeatedly.

I keep looking around as the world shook around me; I keep seeing the weirdest things. Trees having faces, the ground suddenly sprouting up gravestones, data streams of green '01010101's flying by, a striped cat grinning at me on a branch and floating faces observing from afar. I think I saw a guy in a suit standing beside a tree, but he was not normal since he did not have a face.

_"Pretty images…"_  My mouth slurred in an incredibly drunk accent. I don't know who I was talking with, or who was listening, but whoever it was better not remind me of it. I was sure that there was something metallic near my face, not so sure with the blurry mode being turned on. Every time I tried to look around it would be difficult. Blinking my eyes furiously, the scene changes from a dark natural area to a place smelling of burnt wood.

The movement stopped, unknown voices began talking with each other very incoherently, and someone set me down. _"Are they…okay?"_ I looked up and saw a blonde character speaking with someone else. On the other side is a metal man carrying what looks like a big bundle of clothes and a straw hat. What was he going to make, a scarecrow? There was a girl beside him, looking down on me with an expression I can't interpret. A guy walked up to me, looked at my face carefully and checked my temperature and said, _"Get them inside."_

The scene quickly changed again as I blinked and I was in small room. I felt that I was under a few layers of bed coverings with someone trying to move my head. Then there was gentle voice trying to talk to me. " _Shh…Don't fight. It's alright."_ It was the girl. I can't see her face; even her voice is unrecognizable due to something else interfering with my auditory abilities. Even though that is happening, I could still tell that she means no harm, so I just relax.

I could feel her trying to gently push the drinking end of a bottle to my mouth that contained a weird looking liquid in it. Not much thought was put in that scene as it changed quickly to a white room; away from that sorry dingy they call a bedroom. The color of the room was so bright it almost blinded me for a sec that I had to cover my eyes with my casted hand. On the far side of the room, I could see four figures conversing, well, only two of them did the talking. Those ones were a guy in a doctor's outfit, looking rather serious, while the other was a girl, who was shorter than the doctor. One of the figures looked towards me and approached. I had this feeling that he should be smiling, but he was not. Before I could say anything, the scenery changed back to the dark room I was in before. I tried reaching out to the white room as it fades away right before my eyes.

_"Blake? Blake…"_ Someone to my right suddenly moved, almost making me jump out of the bed. "Blake, it's okay. I'm here."

Oh, it's Alyssa. I breathe out with relief and relax back down to the covers as she takes her seat right beside the bed. Wait, I'm on a bed. When did I get on a bed?

"You were poisoned by the Prison Cage with its virus." Alyssa said in a regretful tone. I remembered that we defeated the mutated plant and then a mob of monsters came out of nowhere which led to me being poisoned alongside Vivi. Wait, Steiner was supposed to be the other one poisoned not me. "You knocked him far enough so he was out of range. Thank heavens for that. We wouldn't have been able to carry three unconscious people."

I put my hands to my face as I heard this. I cannot believe that I changed something from the course of the story's plot. Because of that accident, Steiner is not infected with a plant virus and I took his place instead. I knew I should have been more careful than that. Now I am wondering what else could that have affected in the game's canon.

"Where's Steiner?" I asked upon sitting up.

"In the instrument room," I believe that is the same room he gets pushed in because of his attitude and infection in the game. Alright, at least they managed to get him to behave. "You shouldn't exert yourself after what's happened."

Like I have the time to listen to your suggestions right now. "Anything else happen aside from that?"

"Well, not much." Alyssa thought of other things that may have happened, recalling the events after we killed Prison Cage. She, Steiner and Zidane drove the other monsters away, giving them ample time to carry me and Vivi back to the airship. Vivi and I were placed in different bedrooms for us to rest after they forced some plant antidote down our throats, which I am thankful for. Lord knows what that plant virus would actually do if they fully develop. I might know, but it is not important right now.

"God, we messed up." I groaned as I lied back down. Then I had a thought-provoking revelation. "Wait. I didn't mess up. You did!"

"What?" Alyssa obviously did not see where this was going.

"You heard me. I would have not been poisoned if you did not knock me over. I would not be in this bed if it wasn't for you!"

"What!?" She stood up, outraged of the accusation I was flinging towards her. "I can't believe you're blaming me for this."

"You should believe it. I'm blaming you."

Alyssa had this look of aggravation imprinted on her face as she folded her arms on her chest. "That was an accident! I didn't mean to do it. And besides, if you weren't standing so close to me you wouldn't have gotten hit by my elbow, sending you flying towards the poison."

"Don't even try to shift the blame on me." I wagged my finger to her. "You already said it. 'Your elbow' hit me, therefore you yourself did it."

"You're making my statement sound like a confession!" Her voice was starting penetrate the walls of the Prima Vista, or what remained of it.

"Because it is one."

"It's not! It's your fault you got yourself poisoned, not me, not anyone else, just you." She summarized her accusation and turned her back to me, thinking that she had the final word.

I just chuckled at her actions. "Say it whatever you want. I'm not the one who tried ending this conversation. That means you are guilty." The brunette swiftly turned to face me and launch another objection, but I raised my hand to stop her from speaking. "But you know what," I paused as I looked at her seriously. "I forgive you." She looked at me with a flash of bewilderment. Now she believes that I just went and did a 180. "I accept your apology."

"What apology? I didn't even say anything apologetic."

"You will," I felt a grin form on my face. "But that is not important right now. What's important is our next move." I was going to try to remove these stupid blankets draped over me since it was so hot right now and just jump off this bed, only to be shoved back in by Alyssa.

"You are not moving from this bed until you feel better." Her voice still sounded a bit mad towards me. What did I do to make her mad? Whatever.

"Fine. I actually feel sick right now," All because I'm looking at your face.

"What was that?" Her voice almost rose to a shout.

"Nothing," She narrowed her eyes at me after I replied. She eventually calmed down, which allowed me to continue what I was saying. "We have to plan our next move very carefully. Question, is everyone important in this ship?"

"You mean the main characters?" I nodded to her question. "Let's see. I already told you where Steiner is, Vivi is in the other room right near the staircase, Garnet is still at the boss and I think Zidane is helping Cinna sort out the stuff they managed to save from the fire."

Excellent, though I was surprised that she used the term 'boss' to refer to the thing controlling the forest. "How about Blank? I only ask because he might be snooping around trying to listen in on our conversation."

"Oh, he went in here to give me the antidote thirty minutes ago. He told me to keep an eye on you while he was keeping an eye on Vivi."

I raised an eyebrow at this. "And how does that confirm that we are alone?"

"I looked outside five minutes before you started accusing me that your condition was my fault."

"Great." I ignored that last part. She's still holding onto that even when I let it pass already, what a vengeful girl. At least everyone on this ship is busy with something else and we're free to think of our next move. But first, "Another question, how did you get here?"

Alyssa was silent for a second, probably trying to find the right order of words to answer my question. She looked back at me and shook her head. "I don't know. All I remember is that we were struck by lightning back at the beach. Then I woke up."

"Where?" She looked at me, frowning at a thought that must have just come into mind. "If you're wondering, I woke up in the streets of Alexandria with children threatening to steal my wallet." Speaking of which, this is the only time I remembered that I have something on my person except for a tie and a cast. I patted my pant pockets and it confirmed that I still had it on me. "So, where did you wake up in?"

Alyssa looked at her clothes for a moment, contemplating perhaps on her odd choice of wardrobe, and then went back to me. "I woke up here, on the Prima Vista…"


	7. In Another Place, At The Same Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Alyssa recounts what happened to her before she found herself onstage while Blake comments on the sidelines.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 6: In Another Place, At The Same Time

-Alyssa-

So a few hours ago…

At first I didn't know what was going on. All I was hearing was creaky floorboards echoing throughout the place, the sound of wind going past and a faint grinding of gears and other machinery. I didn't even know that I was on an airship on its way to its destination. Being on an airship was the last thing on my mind.

I woke up disoriented and almost nauseated. The room I was in was small and dark with the only source of light coming from the cracks and small openings from the door right in front of me. Dangling in front of me were musty old smelling clothes and right where my head was leaning onto the handle of a mop. I remember scrambling away from it because it looked so gross and the smell didn't help it either.

I stood up and tried to remember where I was. All I remember was that lightning strike and then being out. It was plainly obvious to me that I wasn't in a beach surrounded by sand and people anymore. The room I was in was an old closet, probably long forgotten by the owner of the place. Well, that was what I was thinking.

Then I realized that I wasn't wearing anything aside from my swimwear. Confusion turned to panic after I realized that I was somewhere else with barely anything covering me. God, I felt so embarrassed at the thought of the door opening to reveal a crowd of people who are probably not expecting someone like me with barely any clothes to pop out. At least the room I was in had some clothes I could borrow for a while. Most of them looked a bit too big for me and the only one I found that was appropriate for my size was this white shirt and overalls, though the overalls were a bit loose. Thankfully, there was a spare pair of pants right beside it.

_Really, you didn't find anything for a girl? Maybe you didn't look hard enough._

I looked hard enough, Blake, thank you very much. Some of the clothes I saw were a black robe with a feathered collar, a black corset with thin violet stripes, a simple apron and a ceremonial robe.

_Wait… So you think a corset is not for girls?_

What was I going to wear it with, these pants? At least the overalls are kinda okay to look at, plus I believe I made the right choice when I stepped out of the room. I found myself in a narrow hallway with both ends leading to a staircase, one going up and the other going down. By my side was a small circular window that revealed to me, at the moment, that I wasn't anywhere near a beach.

The building I was in was flying, flying so high in the sky that it looked like we were riding the clouds like waves. I was amazed at first by the sight right before me and then puzzled as to how I got here. As I pondered on this, someone was walking towards me from upstairs. I panicked at first, thinking that it was the one who kidnapped and brought me here…

_You thought you were kidnapped?_

That was the first thought that popped into my head. Wouldn't you think you were kidnapped if you wake up in a place you didn't know?

_A good argument to that is: Why would anyone want to kidnap me? It's not like I have anything valuable on me. My family is not that wealthy._

Anyway, moving on. I froze when someone arrived on the floor I was in. It was a guy also dressed in overalls – his was an orange color not like the blue one on me – with a similarly colored hat on his head. He had a thick head of light brown hair that covered his eyes from where I was standing and looked somewhat worried. When he saw me that look suddenly vanished and turned into delight.

"Hey, I finally found you." He said as he approached me. His voice sounded laid back and cool, so I thought he was rather harmless.

"F-Found me?" I stuttered, not knowing why. Must be because I still suspect someone took me here and I don't know whether this guy is innocent of co-plotting it or not. He may look harmless, but something tells me I should keep my guard up just in case.

"I was looking all over for you since the Prima Vista got into the air. You ran out like you were going to throw up or something, new girl." He rubbed the back of his head as he talked. "The other engineers and mechanics were worried that they were going to work with another airsick newbie. I hope you're alright."

I wasn't able to respond immediately when his words reach my ears. "Prima Vista?"

"Yeah, the Prima Vista. Don't tell me you already forgot the name of the airship we're on. I didn't think Tantalus would consider hiring someone who doesn't know the name of their airship."

That was it. Those three words: Prima Vista, airship and Tantalus. Nobody in their right mind would say those very words in three consecutive sentences unless they were discussing a videogame, Final Fantasy IX to be exact. This guy sounded so serious that he can't be talking about a videogame, unless if he's doing it intentionally. If not, then that only meant one thing, and I wanted to be sure before I head to such conclusions.

"Can you remind me again where we're headed?" I asked, trying my hardest to sound normal despite my anxious thoughts.

The guy in front of me put a finger to his forehead as he stepped towards another circular window. "Oh! We're going to Alexandria. The princess of the kingdom is having this HUGE birthday party and…"

And there you have it, the confirmation I was waiting for. He continued rattling off about the princess's birthday celebration and how it would be 'supremely awesome', but my mind was elsewhere. With that confirmation, I finally realized that I was inside the game of Final Fantasy IX.

Then I felt fear hit me.

"Hey, you look a bit pale there." I felt a hand land on my shoulder that made me jump. The guy was looking at my face as if the answer would appear on my face. I shouldn't say anything, but that would only make things a bit complicated. He won't leave me alone unless I provide an answer. An honest answer won't help me here.

"I'm fine." I turned away from him and tried to think of something else to say.

The orange overall wearing guy then exploded patted me on the back. "Well if that's what you say. C'mon, let's get you down to the engine room before you throw up." With that, he started guiding me downstairs to the engine room.

So that explains how I got this thing on right now. It isn't the best choices I've ever picked in my entire life, but it did distract him from the fact that I'm not supposed to be on this thing and it did provide a good disguise. Now that is a plus.

The only thing bothering me at that point was how I managed to arrive at this world. I mean, I'm not rocket scientist or something, but I'm pretty sure that creating a machine or device or gadget that can send its user or someone in particular to another dimension doesn't exist. Plus, it would take a lot of theoretical nonsense and actual research data to even have a grip on this particular subject matter. Inter-dimensional travel is not as simple as turning on a car and hope that nobody planted a bomb in it.

_Please don't get theoretical…_

So that brings me back to the lightning strike back at the beach. This sounds kinda crazy, but there is a chance that the lightning fried our brains and now we're in some coma buried deep in a shared lucid dream, just as your theory suggests, Blake. Well, except for the 'shared' part since you like to insist that you're the one dreaming this up.

_That does sound crazy._

But there is also a chance that the lightning strike killed us and that we're on a purgatorial plane of existence, one that allowed us to dream up the world of Final Fantasy IX in such great detail that we think that we're in an alternate dimension.

_Can we also avoid any philosophical rambling here? I do not have the patience for existentialism right now._

Fine. When the guy escorted me to where everything mechanical was placed, he introduced me to some of his friends and co-workers and told them to go easy on me since I was a bit airsick. From there, he showed me where my station was and told me what I was supposed to do. I was assigned to this large valve that apparently is a very important part of the engine and should be regulated and observed at all times. Right beside the valve was a thermometer-ish like meter that he told me to keep an eye on. If it gets too high, I should turn the valve counter-clockwise to release some pressure and if it goes to low I should add some by turning it clockwise. It was pretty simple stuff really.

He told me that I got off pretty lucky since it was just my first time operating such machinery and that I got a pretty simple job. He, on the other hand, was well across the room with a handful to worry about. Soon he left for his station and left my devices. And to think, I didn't catch the guy's name.

His name wasn't the most important thing in my thoughts right then. I was deep in thought about all of this. What were the odds of me being dead or still alive? I'm no mathematical genius, but that didn't mean I can't go up to someone and ask, right? I looked around that entire room with the intent of asking a 'hypothetical question' regarding my situation, only to see everyone busy at their own individual stations. Mechanics are geniuses with their hands and I doubt they would want someone distracting them with a curious inquiry regarding odds.

Someone soon entered the room carrying what looks like a sledgehammer carried around like a WW2 rifle on his shoulder, walking around with a big gut and an odd looking face on display. I recognized the guy as Cinna, one of the members of Tantalus and the often teased about his looks. That definitely confirmed that I was really in Final Fantasy IX. He told us that we were landing at Alexandria shortly, which got a lot of excited cheers from the workers. They were probably excited by the idea of waking around Alexandria with it being such a grand city and all. Besides, it was Princess Garnet's birthday if memory serves me right, everyone is bound to have a good time today.

Except for the Queen if the day's later events would follow canon.

The ship did land an hour later after the announcement. The head engineer proceeded to turn off the main engine and led the way to the outside with his co-workers. I joined a group that wanted to take a look at the great kingdom of Alexandria from a view. When we got to the top of the ship, we stood right where the group would place the stage. It's a great choice because I stood where it is and saw such a beautiful side of the castle with the cascading river below us occupied by three patrol boats, the small buildings of houses and various businesses surrounding the airship and the people walking on that side of the river.

I stayed on the Prima Vista all throughout the day, thinking about things alone. I even stayed inside that broom closet I woke up in so nobody could find me. There was a lot of thinking involved, like any other possible logical explanation on why I was here, some methods of escaping back to the real world and if there was anyone I know in here with me. I tried thinking of a possible excuse I could use to cover up my identity, because everyone knows that if they claim to be from another dimension or that the current dimension they are is a game would likely get a one-way ticket to an asylum. But then, there was a lingering thought in the back of my head that kept telling me that I wasn't very good at lying or any form of deception.

_Now you need my help for something so trivial? Come on, Alyssa. I already have a cover story made up just from looking at fictional titles of plays and that didn't even take a lot of effort. Even a child could blatantly lie in front of a parent._

Lying is not something I can be proud of, Blake. I'm a good person and I don't deceive people.

_Yeah, and you murdered a Goblin right in front of me. You know what those Goblins look like? Elves. You know what elves remind me of? Human beings. In a way, you murdered a human being, so don't play that 'pure-hearted girl' card._

It was self-defense! I felt horrible about it and... You know what, why am I arguing with you right now? I'm telling a story here and you should be listening, not exhausting yourself with details. Lie down and chill out. Now where was I?

Oh right! As I was thinking in that broom closet, I heard footsteps approaching the room outside. It came from a floor below and it was moving its way towards my direction. The footsteps sounded a bit heavy and made the creak with every step. They sounded like they were being made by a pair of big shoes or something, so I decided to check it out when it passed. I cracked open the door slowly after it was a few feet away from me and saw who it was. It was Baku, the leader of Tantalus and in charge of this whole charade of an acting troupe. And he was wearing the blue dragon headpiece. He even roared at one point as he made his way up the stairs.

That meant one thing: the meeting with the core members of Tantalus was about to begin and their kidnapping operation would soon follow. At that point, I decided to join them in their upcoming adventure.

I went back down to the engine room since I had nothing else to do but wait for everything to start happening. There was no use just hiding in a broom closet and doing nothing at the same time since that would just be a waste. I tried acting normally around the engine room for a while as some of the mechanics came back and my act went quite smoothly. That guy who found me struck a conversation with me and helped me pass the time.

He went on about how excited he was to see the play and how great it was to be a part of the celebration for Princess Garnet, honored that he's in the ship where the play will be held. Throughout his conversation with me, I could tell that he didn't know of Tantalus' ulterior motives. He and the other guys and girls were innocent bystanders in this kidnapping operation, making me feel sad for them.

_At least you didn't know the guy's name. That would make things a lot more depressing. So, how did you get onto the stage when everyone was about to fight?_

I was just getting to that. I was in the engine room, helping the other engineers as much as I can with their own things when suddenly a hatched opened on the roof. I didn't know what time it was back then, so seeing three people jump down from the ceiling temporarily surprised me. The play and the audience reactions can't be heard from where we were since the various engine noises, hissing valves and groaning gears dominated the room. The three people, being led by Cinna, ran past the engineers and mechanics in their way and slipped into a hallway in the far side. Soon, they were followed by a man in armor.

That made some of the workers curious and wanted to know why Tantalus was running around with a girl in tow around the Prima Vista. I volunteered to find out. They all looked at each other for a while perhaps considering that they should just get back to work, but their curiosity got the better of them agreed and let me go find out. Obviously, I already knew what was going to happen.

I walked into that hallway slowly, trying not to get the attention of the three protagonists who just came by with the addition of the fourth armored character as I saw them being confronted by another man in armor, Captain of the Pluto Knights, Adelbert Steiner.

Watching them fight in person was unbelievable. Compared to how this is shown in the game with the chivalry of turn-based combat, real life combat was just so hectic and active. All three members of Tantalus went at Steiner at the same time when they started fighting, all the while Garnet stayed in one corner to avoid being pulled into the fight.

I wondered how I'll manage in a fight as I watched the four clashed. The other workers at the other end of the hall called my attention and wanted a report on how everything was. I told them that they were fighting with actual swords. When they asked why, I told them I heard the knight say something about the princess, but I didn't want to cause a panic with them so I cut out the part about Tantalus having the princess in their custody.

_Aha! I knew you were lying! You ARE capable of deception!_

No I'm not! I didn't lie to them. Do you know how bad it would be if the workers suddenly realize they were working for a bunch of criminals?

_What makes you think they did not know that? Maybe they were in on it the whole time. Perhaps they did not care as long as they got paid. Besides—_

Please stop interrupting! I'm about to get to the point!

So, I head back down the hallway and see that Steiner was about to use one of his 'Sword Arts' where he tears Blank's armor apart, causing the oglops to scatter throughout the room. Amidst the oglop-induced chaos, Zidane and Garnet escape, right? Cinna reflexively screamed "THERE'S AN OGLOP IN MY PANTS!" when it happened, making some of the workers run in to see the sight.

They stood there laughing and pointing at the expense of the dancing Tantalus members plus Steiner. Cinna took out said oglop in his pants before continuing on to the next room before the captain managed to escape the plight of the wonderfully small creatures. The workers then helped Blank with the oglop problem while I snuck past them and followed the others.

When I got into the next room, one of the platforms that carried Zidane and Garnet had already risen while the other with Steiner is currently rising. Cinna was knocked unconscious by the side as I approached the control panel for the platforms. This was the only part I didn't think thoroughly. How was I going to introduce myself to the plot? How much information about myself was I willing to tell? Should I even tell them where I was from? And I know it's easy for you to answer these questions, Blake, because I can tell you already did.

Well, what happened next wasn't part of any plan I've managed to conjure up. I felt a sudden tingly sensation on my shoulder. I looked over and saw an oglop resting there, which I instinctively tried to remove, but moved from my shoulder to inside my shirt. Apparently, oglops like slipping into people's clothes because two more joined the mix, one in my overalls and the other jumped inside my pants from one of the pant legs. That resulted in panicked movement and a desperate attempt to remove the little creatures.

Due to this, I then found myself shuffling around as I tried grabbing first the one inside my shirt. The little thing kept wiggling and tickling me to no end until I caught it when it went to my chest. The next one that followed it was the one going around in my pants, which made me trip and fall on my butt. It was a good thing it didn't go anywhere near…well…you know. The last one was easy to capture since the overalls was a bit loose, so I just pulled and grabbed it as it rolled on my belly. I disposed all three by tossing them somewhere after glaring at each of them.

Unfortunately, that was where I should have been more cautious. I didn't notice that I was sitting on the last platform until it was too late. One of the oglops landed on the control panel and must've pressed something that made the mechanism of the platform, making it ascend as the hatch above me opened and introduced me to the cast of characters that were about to throw down in front of me.

"Uh oh…" I muttered.

-Blake-

"Then I notice you running towards the ship being chased by a soldier waving her sword like a maniac." Alyssa added once her story was over. "Seeing you there was the biggest moment of relief I got from that whole thing."

"Well, now I know how you got here." I let a yawn escape my lips. "We still have to make a cover story for you since you can't make one on your own. Well, I have to."

Alyssa gave me a look when she turned towards me. "You don't have to be so rude about it."

"Fine, but let me just say," I propped myself up on my right elbow as I faced the brown-haired teenager. "We're in a dangerous world right now and we know what's going to happen to it. We will be in serious danger if they find out about it."

"They?"

"Everyone in this planet. Zidane, Garnet, Steiner, Baku, Freya, Regent Cid, Queen Brahne, Kuja, Garland, anyone irrelevant and everyone we do or don't know." I said to her. "It's important that only the two of us know about this. No one else. Not even if we're desperate. Who knows what will occur if someone finds out. We'll be used to their advantage, like cheat books in an exam or, more appropriately, like _Back to the Future 2_. Do you want that?"

The girl beside me shifted in her seat. Maybe the thought of revealing the future has not gotten to her yet, but maybe now she knows that it will be dangerous doing so. Knowing the future is always a bad, whether it may be fictional or not. People tend to handle such revelations horribly, and I am sure that the same will happen to these people.

"No. We don't want that."

"Right. Now then," I went back to a relaxing position, my eyes looking at the dreary ceiling above me. "Your cover story, how to go about that? Hmm…" The information she has given to me are scarce. She 'worked' as a mechanic around the Prima Vista, but there's a slight problem with that. "Do you have any experience with mechanical stuff?"

She shook her head quickly. "No. I barely survived working in the engine room of this airship." So it's a no-go on that part. I'll have to go about this just like how I did mine.

"Okay, I think I have an idea. Would you object to a 'dead family' background?" She flinched at the mere suggestion I just gave. "What? Bad idea?"

Alyssa just shook her head quickly. She was looking away when she stopped. "No. It's nothing."

"Just listen to my idea, alright?" I told her, ignoring her earlier reaction. "If you have dead family, then nobody would be able to verify your background. Everyone would just take your word whether they like it or not." I let it sink in for a while before I continue speaking. "It's for the best."

"How about yours? Does your cover involve dead people?" She inquired, her eyebrows raised.

"What? No. I have a much cleverer cover. There's an earlier version of my cover story that I hatched up, but I improved it just as you were telling your story." Her head shook disapprovingly. Well, she was going on and on about irrelevant details and the idea just popped into my head, so I took the opportunity to revise my cover.

"Alright, here is mine," I began. "I come from a family of successful merchants and information brokers from a far continent." I gestured wide, as if I was drawing up a wonderful image of some faraway land. "We did decently when it comes to financial matters and we never suffered big losses. My parents thought it would be good for us to see other places aside from other towns near our home, so we took the family boat, a big one at that, and sailed towards another continent."

"That sounds believable." Alyssa commented in her seat.

"Here comes the great part. A day or so later, we were caught in a violent storm. It sent us on a wild ride of terrible waves and unbearable winds that broke our ship. Thankfully, we were soon picked up by a patrolling ship on its way to Lindblum in the Mist Continent. With only the clothes on our backs and the few resources we had on us, we stayed in Lindblum, where we would rebuild and replicate our success."

"Wow, that's kinda inspiring."

"I know. Anyway, when we were able to secure ourselves financially, my parents, now homesick for our homeland, decided that they were going back. Since I'm a lot older than the time we arrived here and capable of my own choices, I decided that I would stay in the Mist Continent with my sister and continue the family tradition of selling of commodities and brokering information. The end." I sat up and took a miniature bow to a nonexistent audience as Alyssa looked thoughtful with one finger resting on her lips.

"How about your 'sister'?" She asked, referring to the fictional sibling I mentioned. "How are you going to explain her?"

"Oh that's easy. I'll just say that we haven't seen each other for a long time and have yet to see each other in person since we took different roads in life, you know all that stuff."

We were silent for a bit after that. I was mostly silent because of my throat suddenly feeling a bit dry, but I didn't speak of it to her. She looks like she has other things to worry about.

"So, how about mine? Do you have an idea on mine?"

"A bit. But I want you to make it." I said to her with a turn of my head. "You at least need to know how to make up a story on your own. Just use the 'dead family' idea I suggested. If you can't, then I'll tell you what I have in mind."

The girl thought silently in her chair for a few minutes while I adjusted the pillow behind my head. Who would think that a beaten up bed like this would be so darn comfortable? I know I wouldn't have. Looking back at the girl beside me, I could see her mumbling some words to herself, especially the phrase 'dead family'. I guess none of her friends are negative influences on her.

She looked up and finally spoke. "I got it."

"Well, share it then."

"It's kinda…"

"Just say it. I'll help you revise it if it needs one."

"Okay," She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then started laying it to me. "I've lived in Treno all my life." Oh, interesting choice there. "I had a happy life there. My family wasn't rich or poor, but just alright. We were happy then. But that all changed in one night when a group of robbers snuck into our house. My dad tried to fight and delay them until the police arrived while my mom hid me in the basement. They were killed that night, victims of greed and desperation."

Whoa, that is dark. I didn't know that she'd play the 'victim' card. She's telling me this as if it really happened to her. There were even some tears forming on the edges of her eyes.

"My grandparents took me in after that happened. It took a while to recover from something so traumatic. My grandparents were so supportive and encouraging that since then I told myself I would never be a victim ever again. I took up defense classes and fencing in case I need it. And that's true, by the way. So anyway, I've learned to look on the bright side of life, not on revenge for my family. I've been living a normal life ever since."

"And how would you explain being on the Prima Vista?"

Alyssa leaned towards the bed with her chin on her hands. "I'll say that I moved out of my grandparents' house and looked for work. I thought maybe I'll live in Alexandria for a nice change of scenery, plus I always wanted to go to Alexandria." She straightened back on her chair and looked thoughtful once again. "I think that's it. How was it?"

I was quiet for a few seconds, feeling a bit dismayed at her story. It was a good story even with her telling it to me sounded so credible that I would believe her if I didn't know her. But there was one thing she forgot. "How about the grandparents?"

She froze for a moment, and then I sat up and continued to speak. "How are you going to have an unverifiable story if you have grandparents?"

"You're right. How could I have missed that?"

"You weren't paying attention, haven't you?" I just shrugged and shook my head. "Don't worry. We'll handle it when we get there. I have an idea on how to remedy that problem. Right now, don't stress about it. Just remember your story's details."

The girl beside me nodded solemnly as I went back and lied down with a long yawn leaving my lips once again. "You tired?"

"Yeah. Must be the plant antidote." I replied sleepily.

She patted my arm as she stood up. "Go ahead and rest. We'll be here until Vivi is okay. Zidane's not going anywhere without his help."

"I know." I turned my back to her, shifting comfortably with my cast brushing against my forehead as I decided to let my eyes drop slowly into unconsciousness. Somewhere in between blinks, I heard Alyssa stand, mumble about talking to Blank and the door opening and closing shut. Before I could wonder about this, I fell into a deep sleep.


	8. What Do You Mean By Accessory?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blake and Alyssa prepare to venture back into the forest.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 7: What Do You Mean By Accessory?

-Blake-

I slowly awoke to the sound of crickets chirping and owls howling outside the Prima Vista. There were other noises aside from those two neutral creatures, such as growling from Fangs and feet walking around the remains of the ship. The monsters must be getting antsy with all the fresh meat they can smell coming from the area.

My eyes wandered throughout the room. Nothing had changed since I was last conscious. The ceiling still looked messed up and the walls were about to give out. The only things in here were shattered pieces of a mirror, a wooden dresser barely standing on its remaining two feet, a sheathed knife resting on said dresser, a bed that I was using and a mess of blankets on my side. I must have gotten uncomfortable with those on me while I was asleep.

_Now_ I feel much better, energized and stabilized. "Ahh…" Wait. Hold that thought… "AH-CHOO!" I sneezed hard, whipping my head to the front… I swear my brain almost went out through one of my nasal cavities, though thank God it didn't really happen. It must've been a reactionary effect of being infected with a plant virus. Anyway…

Now I feel better. I swung my feet to the side of the bed, got up and tried to take my first step since I was poisoned. Stabilized should be changed to something else since I felt that my legs are somewhat numb. Plus, I am still a bit dizzy. I should take baby steps.

I tried my best to maintain my balance as I went towards the door as the feeling began coming back to my limbs. That plant virus must be capable of a lot of things if it was to fully develop in a person's body. I believe there was one description of that, but I don't remember right now what it was. I think it affects the nervous system followed by the brain, and then uses the body as a pseudo-nest to grow plant creatures. Sounds like a sci-fi movie.

With that thought out of the way, I went for the doorknob slowly nearing my grasp, or so I thought as it suddenly it distanced itself from the door and the wall it was relatively attached to, almost causing me to fall flat on my face when someone managed to catch me.

"Whoa!" The person called, surprised to even find someone like me in their arms. "You should be lying down, not walking around." I looked at the person and saw Blank and his bandana-covered eyes looking at me as he helped me stand up.

"I felt like walking," I replied not realizing that my voice sounded somewhat slurred.

"Well, you shouldn't be. It's hard recovering from a plant virus if you don't take care of yourself." Blank told me while he put my arm on his shoulders, escorting me back to the bed.

"I've been sleeping for god knows how long. Everyone in this ship has more problems than just exhaustion." And a plant virus that could mutate your entire system and turn it into a monster generator, but he didn't need to know that. "We're surrounded by monsters…"

Blank plainly let my words pass him by when he set me down on the bed. Fighting him off was out of the question since I was in this condition. I decided to just drop what I was saying and just follow what he wants. "Did you drink the antidote?"

"Of course I did. I wouldn't be alive if I didn't." I answered rather quickly. I was lying back down on battered pillow and looking up at that ceiling again. I think I need a change of scenery.

"Watch the attitude," He looked at me through that bandana like I keep my 'attitude' down. My attitude is down. If it wasn't, then you'd be hearing a string of insults right now, and right now thinking of one is quite exhausting. "You wouldn't be alive if it weren't for MY antidote."

I tried acting surprised. "You made it? Wow. Has anyone ever told you that you don't look like the medical type?"

Blank shook his head at my question. "No. I just happen to know how the cure is made. This isn't exactly my first time here."

Oh, really? That's interesting. This is the first time I have heard of this. Maybe it has been mentioned in the game, and if it did then I wasn't paying a lot of attention to it. "Not your first time?"

"This is actually my second." The bandana wearing thief said. "It's quite a long story. It forced me and my crew to walk through the forest and past the South Gate as a way back to Lindblum."

I'm guessing that when he said 'my crew' he meant Tantalus and that also involved some sort of heist or one of their thieving operations. Their operation probably got out of hand or they got caught and that made them escape into the Evil Forest.

"Interesting," I say to him. "I hope I'm not wasting your time, but I'm looking for someone here." Blank tilts his head as he hears this. "Have you seen a girl walking around? Brown hair, around my age, wears a stupid looking pair of overalls?"

He immediately points his thumb over his shoulder and replies, "Yeah. She's near the stairs." Then he crossed his arms and looked like he was thinking something over. "She asked me a question and felt really bad when I answered her, almost like she's about to cry."

"What did you say to get such a reaction?"

"Well, it was regarding the crew of the ship." Oh, that is just great. I don't need her getting more emotional than she already is now. Killing her first monster was bad enough, but this is just getting more pathetic.

"I think I need to see her." I sighed. "Can you help me to the door? I'll take over from there."

Blank shrugged and extended his hand. "Alright. Just so you know I only answered her question. I didn't mean to say anything hurtful."

"Don't worry, that's not why she's crying." I reassured him as I took his hand. He helped me stumble over to the door and thankfully this time I didn't fall in a certain way. "Right, I'll be going now." I turned down the hall with my hands on the walls, the strength slowly coming back to my legs. At least I could walk now and that means I can go around the Prima Vista and take a look around.

"You're welcome!" I heard Blank shout as I turn down the hallway and see the downward circular staircase that leads up to the captain's room. To the right is the room where Vivi should be sleeping and to the left leads instrument room and to the where Alyssa was said to be. Zidane is still nowhere to be found and Steiner is still busy getting locked up because of his worrying.

Ah, there she is sitting on the steps of the stairs with her face on her hands. I could barely hear her mumbling something as I approach her. "Are you crying?" I crossed my arms as I asked this.

She shook her head violently then looked up to me. Even if she denied it, I could still tell that she was crying with the little streams of tears going down her cheeks and that her eyes were a bit red. "Correction, you WERE crying." I said.

"Fine, I was crying," admitted the overalls sporting teenager. "It's…because of…the crew."

"What? Is it because a lot of them died in the crash?" I tried joking about it, but she turned to face me with a glare.

"Not just a lot. ALL of them." Damn, that is quite a fatality count. "Not even….one of them survived. Blank told me that most of the crew died on impact….when we were crash landing. The others were burned to death or…choked on the fumes."

I was silent for a while. Alyssa made these little sob noises a few times right before she took in a big breath and calmed herself down. How am I supposed to feel about this? A lot of people die every day with varying causes and this is just one of them, an occupational hazard when you work for a thieving group. I could say that to Alyssa, but she does not need any more reason to grieve people she barely knew. A reality check is the last thing she needs.

But being told that a number of her co-workers died, even though she did not know much about any of them, is an image Alyssa did not need. Also the fact that they could still be standing on their graves, although if they were dug into the earth by the crash or still strewn around the site, didn't help either.

I noticed Blank walk by our silent conversation. He gave Alyssa a solemn look while he gave me a brief nod of acknowledgement as he passed me. Blank was probably going to check up on Vivi's condition. So, we're nearing that time.

"You can let it all out later." I tell the girl. She gives me a disapproving glance as I continued to speak. "You need to concentrate on the task at hand. We need to stay alive for this thing to continue."

She nodded as she dried her eyes. "You too. Fighting monsters is harder than it looks."

I scoffed at her statement. "Don't you listen? I do _not_ fight. I take opportunities."

There were another set of footsteps coming towards us, this time coming from the lower floor. I turned my head to see the blond thief finally appear right in front of us. Zidane looked at us with a brief pause, especially at me. He had a raised eyebrow pointed towards me before he spoke to us.

"Are you supposed to be up?" He asks.

"Apparently not. This is the second time I was told to not be up and about," I replied.

"You should listen then. Plant viruses are the last thing you want to get here," He chuckled with a wag of his tail.

"True," Alyssa agreed to his sentiment. If I was supposed to be resting you wouldn't be feeling any better. "He was just telling me that he was trying to find the guy who carried him through the woods while he was unconscious. Guess he found him."

"Oh, don't mention it." The thief said. "We don't want anyone else dying out there."

"I didn't catch you name," I put myself between the two. He hasn't mentioned his name to us yet, so it's just logical to ask before we accidentally blurt it out. You know, just in case.

"The name's Zidane," He thumped his chest as he said his name.

"Blake R. Skylark." I introduced myself with an extension of my hand. Zidane took it and shook it as I continued. "And she's Eliza Thornberry."

"Alyssa Forsyth," She corrected me after elbowing me on the side. She should just have her name changed because it sounds so ridiculous. I wonder how many times she's mistakenly added vowels to her name.

"You guys already told me your names earlier," Oh, I must've forgotten. Well, it doesn't hurt introducing yourself again just in case. "But it's nice to meet you both. That was quite the showing you did out there with the plant monster." Zidane regarded Alyssa's fighting skills with a grin. "How does a girl like you know how to fight like that?"

"I took classes." She smiled as she answered.

"Really? Because from the look of things you could have fooled me. Your skills were so natural." Zidane complimented her. I swear there was a rising color of red on her cheeks when she heard this.

"Careful, we don't want her ego to go flying about." I remarked making me and Zidane share a small chuckle at Alyssa's expense.

"Well, Alyssa, Blake," He looked at both us respectively when he said our names. "Nice meeting you guys. I have to go check up on someone. If you'll excuse me." He then passed us as he ascended the stairs towards his destination.

Both Alyssa and I knew what he was going to do. He was going to check up on Vivi and wonder if he should go on and rescue the princess from her current dilemma. I was not up to any more talking and decided that I needed some fresh air. Alyssa followed me outside, her reasoning being that I might need help if some monster decides to attack me.

It's not that I can't defend myself, woman. I just don't want to fight because it's unnecessary when you have other options. Like running, for example, or shooting people in the leg and then running.

By that time, we could have sworn that Steiner had started yelling 'FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!' in desperation.

The skies outside still look a desolate gray even after what seemed like hours of sleep that I went through. Cinna could be seen lying on his back, snoring near the pile of rescued rations and relatively important items. I asked Alyssa about this and she corrected me that I was unconscious for only an hour. And how was that supposed to help?

We stood there under the blanket of Mist hovering just a few meters above the trees, covering the stars from our perspectives. It's not a total disappointment. The Mist didn't actually have an effect on air itself, just that it spawns evil monsters because it can. You know, that bothers me. If someone puts enough logic on how monsters spawn just because of the presence of Mist, one could assume that they either appear from out of nowhere from a portal or the Mist spins around in a small form until it creates a solid figure with its own nervous system and minimal cognitive functions along with instinct.

And as I was pondering on this, Alyssa sneezed. "Bless you." I said. And then she did another. "Bless you." I repeated. I'd offer a handkerchief, but I don't have one at the moment.

Anyways, maybe I'm thinking about this too much. It helps pass the time. Passing the time is just the only thing we can do right now. I'm sure that Zidane is done contemplating his next move and the only thing stopping him from moving is the leader of Tantalus himself, Baku. The big, clumsy but headstrong leader that trips in the middle of a battle, but capable of bringing the pain when he can. Zidane has to choose between the group that helped him throughout his whole life or play hero by going out into the Evil Forest and rescue the princess like a fairytale knight in shining armor, and he already knows the answer to that.

I turned to Alyssa and see that there was a spark in her eyes. What that spark entails, I will never know. She won't tell me, that I pretty much know. But being pulled into a videogame with another person and having that same person be the only one who can understand what she was going through has its own advantages. I am the only person she can confide in.

What I'm guessing about that spark is the happiness she's feeling right now because she's living out an adventure that is supposed to be confined in a pack of CDs to be played by a videogame console made by a Japanese company. It's not every day someone gets a chance like that. If I had a choice, I'd rather be in Persona 4, but a person can only dream, right?

"Hey Blake," Alyssa's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "Do you wanna see how Zidane's gonna fight Baku?"

Well, there was nothing interesting happening around here, unless a random Fang jumps out from a bush and decides to murder Cinna. Fortunately for him, nothing was going to happen to him. One of the gas masked brothers was around, so that means he is safe from any danger.

I shrug my shoulders and sigh. "Fine. It's not like I have anything else to do." Alyssa leads the way back inside as I run my capable hand up and down my right arm's cast. She's going on about how the fight is going to work in a small room with actual weapons with people watching. I was not as absorbed as her as we walk to it. My mind is too busy trying to remember everything important that is bound to happen to us.

-FF FF FF-

Okay, the fight did not go the way Alyssa thought it would. It actually was not as violent as we both imagined. Baku and Zidane decided that they were going to settle this like men, and that meant that both were going to fight with their bare hands. Well, if this was indeed the real world, a fight between two friends, much less than two people who have such a close bond like Baku and Zidane, would not involve deadly weapons. That is if they want to off each other in the most horrible way.

You know, I could understand why Baku does not want Zidane to just up and leave the group here. He is worried about the lives of the injured and currently conscious while Zidane is just trying to go and play hero at the worst possible time. Baku thinks that he's wasting his time by rescuing one person. Perhaps it would be more effective if more people were taken by Prison Cage instead of just one, but that is just a hypothetical situation. But the story won't progress if Zidane doesn't come charging in, right?

Even with that little change proceeding regarding the weapons, Alyssa still cheered like a cheerleader on game night. It was obvious to us as to who was going to win this fight. As she shouted Zidane's name in hope of encouraging him, I stood there beside her with my arms crossed and my thoughts somewhere else. I am sure Alyssa had thought of our next moves before acting like a college fanservice model.

The two Tantalus members were done brawling at the span of 10 minutes. Longest ten minutes of my life. The two traded punches and sold punches like John Cena and Hulk Hogan; they did not sell the punches, they only sold t-shirts and headbands.

They ended up sprawled on the floor in the middle of the room as the cheers from other spectators died down and the impromptu music from the orchestral band slowly came to a halt. Both men took in breaths, but were too determined to stand at their own will. Baku and Zidane eyed each other carefully even if both of them knew the fight was over.

"I'll be damned…" Baku chuckled as he stood. It's not surprising that he's taking this far too well when you see him throughout the fight taunt his little subordinate, telling him that his attack tickles and all that. Plus, I'm not surprised since I had seen this fight a lot of times.

The leader of Tantalus staggered towards Zidane, who was bruised and exhausted and bent over with his hands on his knees. "Bravo!" He surprised the blond with a punch to the gut that brought the smaller thief to his knees. "Go find your princess!" Baku turned on his heel and laughed on his way out of the room. Alyssa and I could hear him coughing loudly a few seconds later.

"Damn, that hurt!" Zidane exclaimed. "He pulled his punches 'til that last one."

"Does that mean Baku let him win the fight?" Alyssa whispered the question to me. She did not notice that? And to think she hundred-percented the game.

"Do you want me to pull out an idiom dictionary and tell you what he meant or do you want to think that over by yourself?" I tell her with a shake of my head.

The two of us overhear Blank and Zidane talk about something. We both know what it is already, but if I have to tell, then Blank is telling Zidane that he's unlocked the door to the instrument storage room so Zidane can talk to Steiner. So yeah, that's lovely.

Then he comes walking towards us. Alyssa started applauding as the thief stopped in front of us and bowed to Alyssa's delight. "Thanks for the applause." I glanced at Alyssa slightly, giving her a look saying 'don't encourage him'.

"You know, you should get some ice on that." I point to a part of his face that made contact with Baku's knuckles. "That is going to bruise."

"I'll be fine," says the thief. "Bruises are the last thing I'll have to worry about. Plus, battle scars impress the girls." He said with a grin, but dropped it fast when it hurt.

"I could tell." I remarked. "So anyway, I couldn't resist hearing that you were going to take the knight and the black mage somewhere. Where might that be?"

Zidane put one of his hands on his belt and grinned. "I'm enlisting their help to rescue Princess Garnet."

"That was the princess?" Alyssa spoke up in fake, yet believable, surprise. Zidane only nodded in confirmation as a response. "I thought that was one of your crew members. Looking back on it now, she did look mighty weird with that outfit on." Yeah right, you're one to talk.

She elbows me on the side very discretely, making me chuckle. "And to think, today's her birthday. Or was." Alyssa elbows me a bit more, this time less discrete that it gets Zidane's attention. "I only say that because it might be morning at this time. You could never tell with how thick the Mist here is." Or she could be dead, but the story won't allow that.

"Oh, sorry for bothering you. You must be busy with preparations for the rescue. We'll be going now." Alyssa proceeded to push me towards the way out of the Prima Vista. I was going to interject that we should suggest helping in rescuing the princess, since that would include us in the main party, but she winked at me as if hinting that she has it all figured out.

"Wait!" Zidane walked up to us as Alyssa stopped pushing and turned towards his voice. "I was thinking that having more people would be great."

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" I ask him.

"Well, four heads are better than three." He replies with a shrug. So Alyssa did know what she was doing.

"That's true. Four heads are – Wait what? What do you mean four?" I squinted at him as he was rubbing the back of his head. There is no need to act so coy about this, Zidane. I know where this is going and I don't like it.

"Taking on the thing in charge of this place is going to take a bit of skill and it's gonna be hard. Rusty's really great with a sword and Vivi's magic is gonna be a huge help. And with Alyssa's help, we might be able to get to the princess faster." Zidane explained, but to me, that was far from an actual explanation.

"What? Are you serious? I know how to fight." I claimed, and it was not a total lie. I do know how to properly swing my arms around in desperation and kick someone in their most private area, but that doesn't mean I have to use proper fighting etiquette while doing it. Sure, it may look the least experienced fighting style, yet it works. "Did you even see me dig into that thing earlier? I am fully capable of hitting stuff, if that's why you're so concerned."

"I'm not concerned about that. What I'm concerned with is that you stood by and watched most of the fight." He countered.

"It's called common sense. You just don't go rushing an enemy with your swords, daggers, hammers, or whatever you may have and think that you'll win. I have a broken arm to prove that."

"Then we're going to have you stay cause of your broken arm. We can't risk anyone else getting seriously injured."

"Okay, I think we're going to end the argument here." Alyssa stepped in between the two of us with her hands on her hips. She was mostly facing Zidane, and by that I already knew what she was going to say. "I'm sorry Zidane, but if you're going to take me with you, then you have to take Blake along." She looked over her shoulder as she said the following. "Think of him as an accessory."

What!? An accessory!? How dare she even say that in front of me?

Even as I launch myself in a mental state of ranting, I could see Zidane sigh and surrender. "Fine then. So, that's five people. Alright then, let's go get Rusty out of the instrument storage room and hope he doesn't cause our ears to drop off." And with that, he led the way up the stairs and in front of the first room we encounter.

I was still seething at what Alyssa had dared suggest. Now I'm just conflicted whether to shove her down the stairs or trip her when we start running away from the plant minions later. You know, pick which one hurts more. She'll probably suffer an injury to the former, while she could possible get killed and petrified in the latter situation. But why should I care, I'm just an accessory. We'll come to that when we do, but right now subtlety is what I need right now.

The three of us entered through the door and was greeted with a mess no magical maid could ever clean. Crates and empty cases for instruments were strewed all over the room due to the crash. Drums were turned over, violins were crushed and some brass instruments could be seen hanging off the walls whether it may be due to an accident or deliberate. We had to watch our steps and be cautious of the towering piles of stored materials to prevent a massive landslide of various musical instruments as we made our way to the center of it all.

The armored knight was sitting on a small stool near the end of the room with a small doll resting in his hands. Zidane caught sight of it, making him chuckle. It was loud enough to cause Steiner into a teetering fit, causing him to wake up and stare at the new figures standing in front of him.

"Come on. You're too old to be playing with a doll." Zidane remarked, pointing to the girly toy in Steiner's hand. And like Cinna isn't? You don't know your teammates at all, Zidane. Steiner looked at the thing in his hand and realized that he was holding onto it while he slept. He unceremoniously tossed it over his shoulder before speaking up with his raised voice.

"Silence!" He demanded. "A scoundrel like you could never understand!"

"Don't worry, sir. I understand." Alyssa said as she stood beside Zidane. "I used to play with dolls back when I was younger." Like not a lot of girls didn't do that, Alyssa. The situation is different.

"I don't think that was what he meant." Zidane mumbled to her silently.

"I'm just overwhelmed with concern for the princess!" Steiner continued making excuses. It was obvious he was caught red-handed and that he was embarrassed by it. He took to using manly bravado as a self-defense mechanism.

"Oh, come on. I'm overwhelmed with concern for myself and you don't see me clutching a doll at night." I commented with a satisfied grin on my face. Was it night or morning? I might have to ask for clarification later.

"You may have saved me from the plight of that venomous poison, but that does not give you the right to mock me." He pointed a finger at me, directing the statement towards my direction. Then he turned back to Zidane. "And you, if only you rogues hadn't kidnapped her… This is all your fault. If anything should happen to the princess, I will have your head!"

Zidane raised both of his hands in defense. "Take it easy. Geez… I'm gonna look for her now. I'll let you come with me if you promise to be good. What do you say, Rusty?"

The Captain of the Pluto Knights went and changed into three emotions in the span of five seconds. First was joy as Zidane said that he was going to the princess's rescue, then surprise when he had to promise to behave, and lastly anger when he was called 'Rusty'. The last one immediately boiled his blood and went on a tirade directed at the thief.

"R-R…RUSTY!?" His voice was so loud it made the piles behind us moved a bit. "I am Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto and I will never work with you conniving thieves!"

"If it makes you feel better, I'm not a thief." Alyssa said.

"And yet you side with one. That is not going to go well with your resume." I told her.

"Captain?" Zidane repeated the rank mentioned. "I figured you were a private, what with that cheap, rusty armor…" Looking at it now, it did look rusty and a bit cheap. It must have been his interaction with the elements since this is a natural forest after all.

This observation just made Steiner shake his fists a lot more, perhaps wanting to tie up the thief and drag him back to his homeland of Alexandria despite the situation they were in. Before Steiner could refute the state of his armor, Zidane held up a hand to silence him. "Look, this has nothing to do with Tantalus. It's something I decided to do on my own. I just wanna save Garnet."

Steiner crossed his arms and eyed the thief carefully. He had a right to, since most thieves aren't the most trustworthy bunch in history. "You had better not be lying! Because if you are, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Isn't that a bit too harsh?" Alyssa questioned the captain's moral understanding due to his over-protectiveness.

"That does not matter. He will be executed if he is lying and that is that!" Well that takes care of that.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm counting on you, Rusty." Zidane said this, dismissing the death threat given to him.

Steiner walked towards the smaller man until they were face to face. "Make no mistake. I'm only going with you to rescue the princess! I will deal with you personally when this is over!"

"…Whatever." Again, Zidane dismissed the threat as if it was a harmless bug. This is either a blatant display of courage or willing ignorance to danger. Steiner looked at the three of us and nodded after managing to calm down.

"It seems that we have the numbers on our side." He stated as he continued analyzing the two other people standing beside Zidane, which would be me and Alyssa. "Your names?"

"Blake R. Skylark," I say, and then I pointed to the girl beside Zidane. "That's Alicia Keyes."

"Alyssa Forsyth." She corrected me sharply.

Steiner seemed to remember something when he looked at Alyssa. "You were the girl I fought against on the airship." He looked at Alyssa now. "You have quite remarkable reflexes and talent with a sword. Where did you learn to fight like that?" Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask what style she was using. Maybe later.

"Oh, I took classes when I lived in Treno." The brunette replied. You know, someday someone is going to want you to expound on that answer like 'when did you start' or 'who was your trainer' or 'where exactly in Treno', that sort of question.

Then he turned to me. I could see his eyebrows furrow when his line of sight came towards me. "And you. You're that coward who keeps trying to talk his way out of a fight."

What's that supposed to mean!? "It's called common sense." I repeated my statement from earlier, though that doesn't explain the cowardice. The knight just shrugged and sat back down on his stool.

"Nonetheless, we should seek Master Vivi's help as well," Insisted the knight.

"Master?" Alyssa tilted her head quizzically.

"Why do you call him 'Master'?" Zidane asked.

"You fools. That black mage has unimaginable powers…" Well, I can imagine what spells he can use, so it his powers are not unimaginable. "I don't want to get him involved, but alas, it can't be helped. We need Master Vivi's powers to rescue the princess."

"You know what's a smart way to rescue the princess?" I crossed one of my arms and tapped a finger to my head's side. "Burn the whole forest down." I nonchalantly suggested. The other three people in the room looked at me as if I was crazy, especially Steiner.

"That's madness!" Steiner exclaimed.

"Do you actually want to save her or kill her?" Alyssa said, still surprised that I could suggest such a thing.

"Think about it." I continued to explain with the straightest and most serious face anyone could possibly execute. "If the forest is burning down, the plant monsters would be so busy trying to avoid the fire or saving it that we could sneak up on the boss, cut the princess loose from its grasp and escape."

"And how about the injured here in the Prima Vista? How about the rest of Tantalus?" Zidane asked.

"Their loss," I shrugged. "They didn't want to come along, they burn with the forest." Now Zidane was giving me a look of disbelief. And yes, I am definitely serious.

They all stared at me as I counter-stared at them blankly. "I think it is a good idea to bring him along." Zidane whispered to Alyssa. "Not for the right reasons, though."

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Now that we have that out of the way, let's go and talk to Vivi." Zidane walked past me, completely shutting down my brilliant idea as he makes his way out of the instrument storage room with Steiner trailing behind him. Alyssa looked at me, still shocked at the audacity that was my idea, threw up her hands into the air and exited.

"What? It's a smart plan. Think about it!"

-FF FF FF-

The four of us entered the room where Vivi was resting, the little boy's head turning to our direction when he heard the door open. His room was very much in the same condition as mine was, except for the other bunk beds in the corner of the room and the shattered pieces of a mirror hung above the dresser. That was exclusive to this room only. Vivi's staff leaned on the wall right beside the bed of the resting black mage, an item used to focus enough power to burn, paralyze with lightning or freeze their target. It temporarily caught my attention before Zidane spoke.

"Well Vivi, we're ready to go look for the princess." ZIdane said. Vivi sat up on the bed and faced the four of us.

"Really!? That's great!" Vivi's voice sounded so happy despite just suffering from a plant virus earlier and the fact that he's in a place called Evil Forest. "Be careful, okay?"

"Actually, we want you to come with us, too." Zidane added. The black mage was taken aback by the thief's idea.

"B-But, I can't do anything." Vivi muttered as he looked down to the floor.

"Hardly, Master Vivi." Steiner objects, showing his respect to the young child's power. "Your magic was highly effective against that monster."

"You did more damage to the monster than any of us could." Alyssa added. I decided to stay silent, despite that my ideas and plans helped to a certain degree, and when I say a certain degree I mean a lot.

The captain continued encouraging Vivi. "In all honesty, I hold your power in greater esteem than I do this scoundrel's." He pointed to the thief standing beside him. Zidane didn't react to his words, though.

"B…But…I'm scared. I couldn't even move last time." Confessed the black mage.

"It's okay." Alyssa knelt beside the bed and looked up to Vivi. "It's natural to be scared. All of us were scared at one point today. Zidane was scared for his friends' condition, Steiner was scared for the princess, and I was scared because I thought I lost my friend." She glanced at me with a smile, making me knit my eyebrows together. That was quite the speech, but did she really have to go and resort to such a thing? It was unnecessary yet encouraging at the same time.

"Please, Master Vivi." Steiner began once again as Alyssa stood. "For the sake of Princess Garnet and all of Alexandria, I humbly request your assistance!" Surprisingly, his voice didn't bring the walls down.

"Come on! You're a black mage, for crying out loud! Show us what you've got!" Zidane said, trying to cheer up the mage.

Vivi thought about what they have all said for a minute and then he looked back at us and nodded. "…Okay. I'll try my best."

"Thank you, Master Vivi." Steiner bowed.

"Alright! Let's get going then." Zidane, now the impromptu leader of this collection of people with the sole objective of theirs is saving the princess before she is turned in a plant host, said as he turned back to the door. Alyssa and I followed him out, but Steiner held Vivi back for a moment to discuss something. He was going to propose this idea for an attack that would need Vivi's assistance. I already know that.

Both of us went back to the room I used earlier to retrieve our stuff that has been left there. My knife was still sheathed and lying on the dresser while Alyssa's sword, the same one she swiped from one of the Pluto Knights during the Prima Vista's escape, leaned right next to the drawer while inside its own sheath. We picked up our respective weapon, attached the sheath to my belt – which Alyssa can't do because she has no belt – and exited the room that we will last see, unless something happens and forces us to come back to this horrible place.

We met with everyone else outside the Prima Vista. Zidane was talking to Cinna for the last time until they meet again, which will be a very long time. Steiner was discussing with Vivi, perhaps it was about the magic sword ability they talked about earlier. When they heard us coming, they stopped what they were doing and got together.

"Okay, before we move, take this." Zidane gave each of us a few vials of potion to keep on our person in case we needed a healing. We did not have a white mage on our party currently, so a potion is the next best thing to have. Cinna handed Zidane a pack that had only one strap. It looked similar to a messenger back but a bit wider. Anyway, Cinna gave this to Zidane and nodded before going to the pile of materials near the trees. He's probably still looking for the Garnet doll.

Zidane walked up to me and handed me the pack. "What's this?"

"In case we need to make camp, the tent's inside the bag." Zidane said, pointing to the bag in my hands. It didn't take long before I realized what he just said.

"Oh, so now I'm a pack mule?" I made it clear that this was insulting me in some way or another.

"You make it sound like it's a crime." Zidane replied. I make it sound like it's a crime because I don't like it. "We'll exchange tent-carrying duties as we go on." He put the strap on me and let it hang to my side. Satisfied that I didn't struggle with bag duty, he went back to the front of the group and led us to the tree trunk.

"This is like making fun of a cripple." I mumbled under my breath as I climbed into the tree trunk after everyone else.

When I reached the end of the trunk, I jumped down and heard a thick splash followed by a cold stream surround my feet up to my shins. Crap, I forgot about this. There goes two hundred bucks swimming down the drain. My shoes ruined for a princess.

Alyssa called my attention when she saw me worrying about my shoes. She doesn't need to worry about her shoes because the ones she's wearing came from an old broom closet along with her current outfit, so don't tell me to not worry about expensive belongings that you currently don't have. My parents bought me these.

Anyway, we trekked down the path where the Prison Cage fight went and down deeper into the forest. The area where we fought the monster smelled of decomposition, a fact supported by the rotting corpse of what infected me and Vivi. I instinctively covered my nose in case there was some of that chemical it spewed.

The deeper we went into the forest, the darker it got. We only saw where we were going because of the moon's light shining down from the sky. So, it was still night time. That answers my previous mental question. Not that it helps the situation we were in right now.

All of us were quiet, hands near our respective weapons in case one of the common monsters jump out at us or another Prison Cage attempts to imprison one of us again. Our previous encounter with it proved that there might be another one prowling the forest for another prisoner. Steiner is particularly cautious about that as he constantly looks up to the trees in case another one planned to strike from above.

Vivi walked between the knight and Alyssa with Zidane leading the pack and me bringing in the rear. Our formation proved that we were trying to play it safe even if nothing has attacked us yet. As we neared the upcoming fight and rescue, the more it was necessary to keep the formation to avoid any surprise attacks. Only the humming of crickets joined us in our quest through the forest.


	9. The Grass is Much Greener on the Other Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our group of heroes perform some heroics.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 8: The Grass is Much Greener on The Other Side

-Blake-

It had been quite a while since we passed the Prison Cage area and recently we were attacked by a few Fangs. Only two of them sprang up from behind of the bushes, which I now conclude is where they lay their nests and use for cover for surprise attacks. Steiner and Alyssa eagerly took care of the two beasts while Zidane, Vivi and I stood back. I told them that we should just let a pair of us alternate between taking care of any attacking beasts in our way, to which they agreed.

And to think they were going to leave me behind that ruined airship.

"Don't pat yourself on the back yet, Blake." Alyssa commented, probably seeing the smirk I had on my face. Whatever. I could also see a grin on your face, Alyssa, while you were fighting so don't be a hypocrite.

We moved through the path in the forest briskly, encountering a few monsters here and there that was no problem to us, well them since it still wasn't my turn, and basically trying to stay alive. So far, nobody has received any major injury in the fights. That's good. Plus, all we've been encountering were Goblins and Fangs, easy kills for the others.

As we moved through the forest, I noticed that it got quieter and quieter. Perhaps anything that made nuance noise wanted to be far away from the Plant Brain as much as possible. It's very hard to be near something so big without thinking that you'll probably get killed.

And speaking of things that want to get killed, a duo combination of a Fang and a Goblin stopped in front of us, snarling and drawing its weapon at us respectively.

"Okay, Blake and Steiner, you're up." Zidane called to us. Steiner nodded and brandished his sword at the two.

"Do I really have to?" I asked Alyssa in a low voice. She looked at me reassuringly.

"They're easy. Don't worry about it." I roll my eyes and decided that if I'm forced to fight I have to think it through before rushing in like some people in this party. I sighed and pulled out my weapon and stood beside the knight after I handed Zidane the bag I was carrying.

With Steiner charging towards the Fang, I was left to my own devices against the Goblin. "Have at thee!" I confidently called out to the beast, even though my experience in fighting was squat. It was the first to move, trying to stab me directly. I jumped to the side clumsily and made it miss.

"Is that the best you got?" I taunted it. The Goblin didn't hesitate on trying to close the distance that I was making between us upon hearing what I had said. Okay, for someone who doesn't want to fight, I sure as heck want to start one.

It lunged at me with its large knife as it constantly attempted to cut me. There were a lot of close calls as I ducked and dived away from each attack, but it managed to nick me right in the shoulder. I was so busy paying attention to where its knife was going that I failed to notice its other hand come up and clock me on the side of the face with a Goblin Punch. It sent me a few yards back until I collided with something metal.

The captain was actually busy fending off the Fang, going on the offensive and never letting it have an opportunity to attack until I ended up hitting him. The force of impact sent him stumbling a few steps, making him vulnerable to the Fang. It jumped on him and tried to bite a piece of his neck off. I saw this happen while I was down and since I was near him I decided to help by stabbing the Fang in its side. He can thank me later. I looked behind me and saw the approaching Goblin with its knife raised to strike me down. I put my own knife up to parry the blow.

It was pushing against my knife with strength I didn't even know it had in those twig-like arms that I was barely managing even with two hands supporting it. "How strong is this thing!?" I wondered out loud.

I moved both of my legs underneath its gut and kicked as hard as I can, enabling an escape to the struggle. I scrambled to my feet towards a tree as the Goblin followed. With a yell, it lunged with both hands on the knife with me in its sights. At the last second, I side stepped the attack much to its surprise and instead stabbing the tree behind me. While it was occupied, I looked over to the knight and saw that he had just dispatched the Fang with relative ease.

"Some assistance would be nice." I say over to him, gesturing to the stuck Goblin. Steiner frowned at me and pointed at my knife before shouting.

"You have a weapon! Use it!" Well, that was helpful.

I turn back to the Goblin, and with a sigh, ran up behind it and stabbed it as hard as I could in the back. It cried out instinctively, and with the sudden jolt of pain was able to pull out his weapon from the trunk of the tree. It easily shook me off, leaving me without a weapon as it was still impaled on its back. Fantastic…

"Okay, I believe we started out on the wrong foot." I said, backing up as it advanced. "How about we start over? Hi, I'm Blake R. Skylark. What's your name?" The Goblin didn't answer my question as it swung its knife at me. I ducked and jumped to the side to dodge him, not wanting it to get even close to me this time.

This whole dodging thing was tiring me out. I could feel my lungs ready to collapse. As I backed up, it was readying a lunge with its knife leading, aimed at my chest. Weaponless and fatigued, I was unable to jump out of the way and could only raise my arms up to defend.

But the hit didn't land after a few seconds of anticipation. I lowered my arms and saw the Goblin frozen in its tracks with half of a broadsword sticking out of its chest and its owner standing behind it. A second later, Steiner pulled out the sword, making the dead Goblin fall face first on the ground. Out of instinct, I kicked the late Goblin's head twice before taking my knife from its back.

"Thanks…Steiner." I breathed heavily. I'm not in the best shape of my life to be even fighting.

The captain only looked over his shoulder and I saw him looking a bit contemptuous. "You are beginning to show how useless you are in this rescue. If it weren't for my intentions of sending the lot of you in prison, I would have not helped you."

Useless? He just called me useless! I am not useless! If it weren't for me you would have gotten infected with that plant virus! The nerve of the guy. How ungrateful! Is that how they teach respect in Alexandria!?

I wasn't able to voice out those thoughts as he just went on ahead. Zidane patted me in the back and handed me the bag. "Don't let him get to you. He's just worried about the princess." Worried my ass! He's being a giant rusty douche! Alyssa came up to me with a look of concern.

"Did you just double-tap that Goblin?" The girl asked. I merely nodded, making her say something else. "That's a bit unnecessary."

"It could have…gotten up." I tried to say in between gasps of air. I was bent on my knees, a bit tired and slightly wounded from the fight. "I just…made sure it wasn't…getting up." That may have been a quick fight, but I was still spent as if I ran a marathon. Fighting is not really my style, but if I want to stay with the others I might as well get used to it.

"Ah…are you…" Vivi looked at me with those yellow eyes of his and was trying to say something. He pointed to my shoulder, where I could see a streak of red forming.

"Don't worry." I straightened up and sheathed my knife. "It's just a flesh wound. I'll get better."

Alyssa chuckled as she patted me on the other shoulder. "Come on, let's get going."

We continued down the path Zidane was leading us through when we were done chit-chatting. Thankfully my turn in fighting was over. There was still a bit to cover before we get to the boss and I am hoping that I don't get another turn. We maintained formation once again as we progressed. I looked around and noticed that we were nearing what looks like a river with a fallen tree over it, conveniently acting as a bridge.

Alyssa suggested to Zidane that we follow the river as it goes into the forest. Her explanation for this was that since a forest with deadly plants roaming around harming other creatures is possible to have a bigger plant acting as its center. A big plant would need nutrients, and a big plant can get a lot of nutrients from a running river. Due to this, Zidane changed directions and followed the river closely.

I would congratulate her for at least pointing our leader to the right direction, but I was still a bit miffed about the whole 'accessory' thing earlier and the fact that I was going to say something like that.

…Not exactly the same thing, per say. But something in the lines of 'How about we follow this and hope we get to the boss' kind of statement.

Eventually, we came upon the spring in a large hollow tree stump that has magical healing properties. Zidane decided that we could rest here for a while since the coast was clear. As I sat down with my back against the large stump, I saw Alyssa looking around for something. It wasn't hard to reach the conclusion to what was bugging her. She was looking for the moogle hiding in a much smaller hollow stump. There was no moogle hiding in a smaller hollow stump, much to her dismay.

I put my hand under the running water from the stump behind me and took a sip. It tasted like purified water from back home, which made me take more sips. I felt a lot better after I was done as I saw my shoulder wound close up. "Anyone else want to drink this?"

Alyssa took a sip from the spring and looked enlightened. "Wow. This thing tastes wonderful. Take a taste, Vivi."

The black mage walked up to Alyssa and held out his gloved hand to the running water. When he was done, he nodded in agreement to Alyssa. "I feel a bit less tired." He said.

Steiner followed and took a swig. "It's revitalizing. Maybe it has magical properties that heal whoever drinks from it," concluded the knight. Indeed it does, Steiner. Alyssa just shrugged and sat right beside me.

"Too bad we don't have a container we can use to get some. I bet this would sell for a lot of gil." I wondered. When Zidane was done drinking from the spring, he leaned on the sat on the edges of the smaller stump as Steiner stayed on guard. Vivi simply sat down and adjusted his hat.

"I've been wondering," Zidane spoke up with a hand on his chin. "Why were the two of you on the airship?" He pointed a gloved finger to the two of us.

"Hmm…?" I was too busy verifying the contents of the bag I was carrying to understand the thief's question. And yes, it did contain a tent. There was also a violet bottle stored in the corner of the bag. Perhaps it was the seed remover antidote Blank made specifically for the ones poisoned.

"Oh that…" Alyssa chuckled embarrassingly. There was a hint of nervousness in that chuckle. "I was there by accident."

"How about you?" He then turned to me as I was closing the bag. Odd how that answer quickly satisfied him. True, Alyssa's statement wasn't a lie, but that would at least warrant an explanation.

"Me? It's a long story actually." I replied with a shrug. "I don't want to tell an excruciatingly long story when we have a princess to save." The last thing I wanted was someone getting suspicious. Steiner was about to concede when the condition of the princess was brought up, but Zidane's curiosity was piqued.

"No, wait. Let's hear it." Zidane insisted.

"The princess's life is still in danger!" Steiner said, his voice was loud enough to make Vivi flinch.

"Okay, I'll humor you." I stood up and brushed off the dirt on my pants. "Long story short, some Alexandrian soldiers were chasing me and I thought it would be nice to catch a ride on an airship that was about to leave." I walked past the knight as I responded, using my hands to gesture a chase as I told my piece. I swear Steiner's forehead creased a bit as I talked. Here's hoping that Steiner does not remember that I almost murdered that one soldier. "Now I believe there's a princess we have to rescue."

"Right. Let's go."

-FF FF FF-

_THWACK!_

"Hey!" I exclaimed as I nursed the cheek the branch hit with my cast.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" That was the second tree branch to slap me across the face. The first was Zidane's fault when he was guiding us under some low branches and this time Alyssa was the culprit. Curse my luck.

The five of us were nearing the lair of the Plant Brain faster than I imagined. There wasn't as much opposition from the beasts in the vicinity unlike earlier. Sure we're glad that we were making progress like this, but I felt that there was something missing. What I noted was that one plant enemy hasn't attacked us yet. You really can't miss a large floating flower in a forest like this.

Then a buzzing sound started filling the air. It came in intervals like it was a large bird flapping its enormous wings. Alyssa looked up and pointed behind us.

"Look at that!" We all turned to the thing she was pointing at in the air and saw what it was. That's what was missing. The Dendrobium, a flying plant monster. It was around the size of three people standing side by side with their hands extended and had six red petals, six maroon colored lower petals and two pink limbs. I didn't know flying plant monsters made buzzing sounds.

Curse me. I did not expect it to just pop out of nowhere, not when it's the size of that.

"Scatter!" Zidane ordered, but it wasn't followed as Dendrobium forced us to do so with a Wind attack, sending us flying throughout the area. We got back up and drew all of our respective weapons as the floating flower descended. Zidane and Steiner charged, hoping that they would hit it, but it easily evaded them by floating a bit higher.

Can't they just stay back and think about this for a second and not just rush in? Thankfully Alyssa knows that she can't do anything on this thing, unless she can jump higher than any live human being. Okay, now think. Floating enemy, made of flowers, easily flammable. Vivi's obviously the man for the job.

"Vivi, you can beat this thing singlehandedly." I say to the black mage. His eyes widen in surprise.

"M…Me?" He asked, pointing to himself in disbelief. I nodded and pointed to the Dendrobium.

"Look, that thing is a flower and most flowers are weak against anything. Problem is, normal attacks can't reach it at the height its flying. Your Fire spell is the best thing we have on range and power. Think you can do it?"

Vivi looked back to the plant, seeing Steiner yelling at the plant to come down while Zidane somewhat had the right idea to use the trees to reach the enemy. Apparently, Zidane knows a bit of parkour. But that little tidbit did not help them as Dendrobium blew Pollen into their faces, blinding both of its attackers.

Without further suggestion, Vivi nodded and stepped forward. He gripped his staff with both hands and looked like he was focusing his power in it. After a while, he pointed the staff to Dendrobium and shouted the spell.

"FIRE!" A small burst of fire exploded at the hovering plant's center. The fire immediately spread and burnt the plant easily like a piece of paper. It gave out one last light buzzing sound before it crashed down to the ground.

"Good work, Vivi." Alyssa said with a thumbs up. "Blake, there's some Eye Drops in the pocket on the side of the bag. Get some for Steiner and Zidane."

I held up a hand with a smile sand said, "Wait. Watch this. Hey Steiner!" The knight straightened up as he struggled with the dust in his eyes. "There's a Goblin behind you! I think you can knock it out with a punch."

It just so happens that Zidane was behind him trying to get a feeling of where he was. Steiner took my word for it, turned a whole 180 degrees and flat out socked Zidane with a punch. "Hey! What the hell was that for, Rusty!?"

"I was merely defending myself. What were you doing back there?" Steiner answered indignantly. I, on the other hand, was having quite a laugh; a hearty, bellowing laugh, as the two argued in front of us. Vivi tilted his head while Alyssa gave an impatient sigh. She elbowed me on the side hard enough to push me two steps to the left.

"Fine, fine. I'll get the eye drops." I groaned as soon as my laughter died down. "Admit it, Alyssa. That was funny."

"That was cruel." She simply stated with her hand on her hips. I only shook my head as I dug into the side of the bag, grabbing the eye drops and walked up to the blinded duo. She just does not get comedy. That was called slapstick, one of the basic forms of said genre.

When Zidane and Steiner were done applying the eye drops, and after Alyssa apologized for my part in that whole punch thing – which I did not want to apologize for, but she insisted – we moved on. We eventually got to the part of the path where the ground no longer composed of pebbles and dirt, but vines and roots. Both were present so much that we came across an arch made of vines and roots.

I was going to make a sarcastic comment about the architecture and that we should adapt this very style so that we can revolutionize the entire world of architecture, when we heard a loud screech that stopped us in our paths. Above us, the birds nested in the numerous branches in the trees flew and fled as the screech echoed far beyond the reaches of the forest, perhaps alerting or scaring –or both – the other inhabitants.

I think I just broke an eardrum.

Zidane ran inside the archway when the screeching was done followed by Steiner and Vivi. Alyssa nodded towards me and went in with me in tow. "There it is!" Vivi shouted. He was pointing to the monstrosity in the middle of a vine-infested –or rather vine-decorated and vine-furnished– room.

Sitting in a pedestal constructed by thorns the size of USB cords with the thickness of five wi-fi modems stacked on top of each other: the seed that fell far from the fruit, the head plant, the petal with all the power, the root of all evil, the Plant Brain. Wow, that was a lot of plant-related puns. Anyway, the Plant Brain menacingly swayed it thick, hollow stems as we stared it down.

"There! The princess!" Zidane pointed past the standing mother plant to where the unconscious Garnet was found. She was placed high above the Plant Brain with a few branches and vines being used as a makeshift hammock. From the looks of it she looked pretty comfortable up there with her being all unconscious and stuff.

"So, this is the master." Vivi audibly mumbled.

"Princess!" Steiner shouted, hoping to get a response from her in return, but alas, Garnet was heavily under the influence of the seed poison in her system. "You stay out of this!" He pointed to me and Zidane.

"Me? What did I ever do to you?" I asked, feeling insulted by his treatment right now.

"Alexandria would be disgraced if a terrible murderer and a mere bandit should rescue the princess." He pointed out as he drew out his broadsword. Crap, he remembered. I think I said a little bit too much earlier.

"You think you can handle him on your own?" The leading thief inquired.

"…" Steiner was silent for a bit. The Plant Brain had enough of our rambling and screeched at us once again, this time a lot quieter than before.

"Let's get him, guys." Zidane looked over to Vivi, Alyssa and me as he unsheathed his Mage Mashers. All of us readied our respective weapons and stayed in formation. "Vivi, pepper that thing with your fire spells, Steiner and I are going to distract it. Maybe we can cut it down with force."

"We'll protect Vivi." Alyssa volunteered us and stood beside the black mage. No, I am not protecting anyone aside from myself. This dream is not going to end with me playing hero.

Zidane nodded and looked around this part of the forest. "Try looking for a spot that it won't reach." He said to us. He turned to Steiner and ran in towards the Plant Brain, both ducking under the attempted swipe from its crusty stems.

Alyssa gestured to me and Vivi to follow as we went to the side of the Plant Brain while it was busy with the welcoming committee. From where we currently were, it was obvious that the two are having difficulties with a monster the size of a small motel. Steiner and Zidane cut away at the Plain Brain's thorny base with the monster growling with irritation. How could I tell that it was irritation? How would you feel about small insects biting down on your feet, huh? Pretty much the same thing in this situation.

Because of its hulking size, its tentacles could merely attempt to grab the two attackers since it looked like it wasn't that flexible. Zidane expected this to happen and jumped over it, trying to cut the tentacle off with a slice. Only the tip came off from his attempt. Steiner wasn't that quick in his reaction as one of its left tentacles grabbed him around the torso. The knight improved on his reaction by using his sword to hack away at the tentacle as Zidane climbed onto its tentacle, ran towards the center of the plant and slashed away.

"This should be safe." Alyssa guessed as she looked around. We were standing in front of a large tree that was probably old enough to be a grandpa tree, yet stood so high and looked so healthy like one of those aged triathlon competitors. We were right somewhere behind its left where we could see what was happening in the front. "What do we do now?"

"We start holding down the fort." I told her. "Vivi, start focusing your power, but don't attack yet." I said to Vivi. Alyssa gave me a puzzled look, but Vivi understood it without question and started concentrating.

"What do you mean 'don't attack yet'?" Alyssa pulled me to the side where Vivi was out of earshot.

"I've played through this part numerous times. You've played it only three times. I know what's going to happen here." I answered, irritated that this girl dares question what I'm doing. "This fight will be going nowhere as it begins. Plant Brain here won't get affected by the attacks early on. We need Zidane to be in critical condition in order to make the fight move on to its second phase."

The brunette hesitated for a moment as an idea formed in her head. "You mean Zidane needs to suffer enough damage so that Blank can come in and save the day?"

"Not save the day, but help us out." I corrected her.

"That's cruel!"

"Cruel it may be, but that is how this fight goes."

Steiner and Zidane had managed to go without a scratch in the fight as they fought off the tentacles with their weapons. Plant Brain changed that right now as it waved its tentacles in the air. Zidane and Steiner thought that it was going to bring those down on them with a sweep, so they prepared their weapons to block the incoming attack. That was where they were wrong. It wasn't a physical attack it was going to do, but a magical one with a thunder spell. It connected with the two in one single flash from above, electrocuting the duo and stunning them long enough to get clobbered with a tentacle sweep.

"Blake, these are real people you're fighting with. Zidane doesn't need to be in a dire condition for the fight to start going in our favor."

"That's how this fight goes and what I say is final. Now I suggest you drop this conversation right now before you attract the Plant Brain's attention." I demanded to the girl.

"You can't use people just because the game is programmed to follow a scenario! What's happening to us right now is real, and a fact that comes along being real is that everything is unpredictable, meaning this whole event is unpredictable." Alyssa tried to reason, but my mind is already set. She saw it with how I turned my back on her. That was when she decided to go against my order. "Vivi, give it all you got right now!"

I turned to the black mage and saw him nod to the girl. I was about to yell at him to not listen to Alyssa, but it was too late. Vivi unleashed the concentrated power in his staff on the Plant Brain as it was about to smash Zidane and Steiner together, saving both men with a powerful blast of flame. Plant Brain let out a pained screech as the fire burned on its maroon petals, shaking the area with powerful strikes to the ground with its tentacles.

Then in just a full second, the thorny pedestal it was on began to shift and turn towards our direction. Now we have its attention. That was not part of my plan.

"Book it!" I pushed past the overalls wearing brunette and ran away with my knife drawn out. She grabbed Vivi by the hand and bolted the other way, with the black mage holding on to his hat and the hand dragging him along. Zidane and Steiner were just recovering from the shock they received from the plant as I passed them.

The Plant Brain let out a growl-like sound towards the direction of the running duo as it waved its tentacles around for another round of thunder spells. The two continued running as a number of thunder strikes came from above on their previous locations, just barely missing the two. I heard Zidane wonder aloud about the fact that plants can use magic.

Curses. I wouldn't be running around trying to dodge this thing's attacks if that girl just followed what I told her. The game's plot is definite and final; nothing changes that even if we tried. We just need to follow it to the end without making any attempts to change it.

It didn't bother with the yellow-tailed thief as it only focused on its now running targets: me, Alyssa and Vivi. It aimed one of its tentacles towards me and made it stretch towards me at an alarming speed while Alyssa and Vivi continued dodging thunder. I dived out of the tentacle's way before it could arrive to its target (read: me). But I wasn't out of the woods yet metaphorically speaking as Alyssa and Vivi tripped over my recovering form.

"Gah!" Alyssa yelled out when she fell onto the ground, quickly followed by Vivi. I groaned in pain, hugging my side which Alyssa clearly kicked before she went down. The three of us noticed that neither thunder nor tentacle had hit us while we were down. We looked up at the plant and saw that its form was rearing back. With a snap of its upper body, the Plant Brain started to blow Pollen towards our direction.

I climbed on top of Alyssa and ducked behind her with my eyes closed as tight as possible. She shrieked in surprise as the pollen-induced wind blew against us felt like we were standing in a low pressure area. When it was done, I waited a few more seconds before opening my eyes and freeing Alyssa from my grasp. I didn't feel anything on my eyes, so that was good. What I felt was Alyssa pushing me away from her.

"What the hell, Blake!?" She shouted as she rubbed her eyes, trying to see past the pollen in her eyes. "You used me as a shield!"

"At least I'm okay." I responded calmly, dusting myself off as I got off the ground. I took out a bottle of Eye Drops from the bag and gave to her. "Here, this might help." I looked over to the black mage and pointed to the Plant Brain. "Vivi, begin concentrating on ano—" Then I see him waving his hands around like a blind per – crap, I forgot to cover Vivi.

No matter, I have some eye drops in the bag – hey!

Before I knew it, a thorny vine grabbed hold of my left hand and forced me down to the ground, making me relinquish hold of my knife. It was gripping my arm tightly, the thorns digging into my skin. Crap, it hurts! One more vine came from the ground and secured me against the dirt. Great, more dirt on my vest and shirt. The guy who's going to clean my clothes is seriously going to have a bad time.

Hey, this didn't happen in the game! This is not fair! I demand proper game mechanic etiquette so I can take advantage of it!

Another vine took hold of Alyssa and Vivi and kept the two in place by their feet while another swatted away both their weapons. The vines didn't budge from its place despite how hard the two tried to force their limbs to move. Zidane and Steiner were sent flying towards our direction by a thunderous whack of a tentacle. The two groaned as they struggled to back on their feet.

"This isn't looking good." Zidane stated, sounding fatigued.

"We must persevere! The princess must be rescued!" Steiner was bent over his sword as he tried to stand up.

We were under the mercy of the Plant Brain, which had one of its petals burnt because of Vivi's attack and I'm pretty sure it didn't like that at all. I was trying to think of a way on how I could get us out of this mess, but that required me to have my knife, which was lying somewhere beside me. The vine did not allow much movement, making it impossible for me to reach the knife. At the same time, images of how the Plant Brain was going to finish us formed in my mind: Pollen-induced torture, squashed by its large tentacles, fed to its plant babies, electrocute us to death, wrap us in vines like mummies, or plant its seed poison in our system were the prominent ones.

Damn it, I don't want any of those to happen to me. I have so much to live for. Do it to them first so at least I have a chance of escaping!

It was apparent that the Plant Brain had now decided on how to eliminate us. The vines raised me, Alyssa and Vivi into the air in an upright position with our legs dangling and swinging around for the ground. Zidane and Steiner evaded the Plant Brain's attempt of grabbing them with its tentacles, but they were already spent and it was only a matter of time that they get caught.

They were hit by a thunder spell, stopping them in their tracks long enough for the Plant Brain to wraps is rough dark orange tentacle. The tentacle moved the two so that they were right beside the three of us. What the hell is it trying to do, hang us with vines?

My question was answered when a group of rotting flowers sprouted from the ground. It was trying to plant seeds into our nervous system, just like what Prison Cage did. Alyssa looked over to me, as if hoping that I would have a plan out of this. No, I don't have a plan out of this. This would have not happened if you did not mess up my previous plan. Now we're going to be plant chow and it's all your fault!

I close my eyes and held my breath as I prepared for what would be my last lungful of air. Well, if this is going to be the end, at least let me outlive these four even if it were only a matter of seconds. If only Blank was quick enough to act as our cavalry—

"Hiyah!" Someone yelled out and I heard something fall to the ground. I just hope it isn't one of the party members. I opened my eyes slowly, hoping for the worst when I saw a crouched figure in front of us. I looked to the right and saw its arm extended with a sword held in its hand. That was when all of us knew we were saved.

"Blank!" Zidane exclaimed sounding surprised and amazed. Even the Plant Brain was apparently surprised as it drew back the tentacle holding Zidane and Steiner.

"Whew! I made it just in time." Blank faced us as he said this, putting his sword on his shoulder and put a grin across his face

"You sure took your fucking time!" I shouted at him. The grin on his face soured.

"I was held back by a few flying flowers," said the thief as he cut down the vines holding the three of us in the air. We landed on out backsides, except for Vivi who managed to land face first. "Stand aside. I'll take care of this."

With the rest of us freed, we managed get back on groove with the fight. After Alyssa applied the Eye Drops to her own eyes, she tossed aside the bottle, glared at me momentarily before joining the frontline with Zidane and Steiner. What was that for?

The bandana wearing thief ran towards Plant Brain with his sword ready cut down the monster. He rolled underneath an incoming tentacle and slashed at another as it was coming down to attack him. Blank darted towards where Zidane and Steiner was hanging around, only to be stopped by a thunder spell that almost hit him if didn't jump back. Plant Brain used a combination of thunder spells and tentacle attacks with the hope of bringing down him down and almost succeeded if Alyssa didn't run in to save him.

She handed him a potion vial, which healed the wounds he sustained from the barrage of attacks. The two went back in while Vivi began casting Fire spells at the botanic monstrosity. With two attackers charging and evading its attacks plus a black mage throwing fire spells at it, it was only a matter of time until it was brought down. Vivi weakened the tentacle holding the blond thief and the captain of the Pluto Knights with a fire spell and was cut off by Blank's sword. The duo landed on the ground with a thud, but at least they were free.

"Master Vivi!" Steiner yelled out to the black mage. This vocal signal proved to be the turning point as Vivi stopped casting spells and focused. Steiner readied his blade as Alyssa, Blank and Zidane cut away the attacking tentacles. Plant Brain tried to even out the odds by using its Pollen attack at the trio. Alyssa and Zidane saw it coming and dived to the side, only to leave Blank in the middle of a Pollen spray.

When it ended, Blank stood with an arm covering his face. Then we heard him chuckle. "It's a good thing I wear this bandana on my face." He remarked. It was pretty much common sense, but I really did not expect that to happen. In the game, even if he had that thing on his face all game long, it didn't have any effect and would still suffer when he gets attacked by a Pollen attack.

He continued attacking the Plant Brain, but the monster had enough. It used the surrounding vines once again and trapped the trio in their places. Oddly enough, Zidane was facing towards us when this happened. He sheathed his daggers and whistled, attracting the attention of Steiner. The two nodded at each other and Zidane placed his hands together, cupping the one on top.

Ah! I figured out what he was trying to do when I see Steiner running towards him, his blade having a red radiant glow right on the tip. When he was near enough to the tailed leader, he jumped on Zidane's hand and used it to propel himself towards the face – or where the face should be located – of Plant Brain. It screeched as it tried to stop Steiner with a thunder spell, but that didn't hinder him as he implanted the sword right on its center. A millisecond later, the same area combusted with a red light and consumed the surface where it was cut, burning the plant in that intense burst of fire. Good thing Steiner managed to jump away to safety as it happened.

Plant Brain flayed and swung its tentacles around as the fire consumed it. Shortly after, the tentacles fell down to the ground as the giant plant began to droop down into the dirt until it was motionless.

"I…Is it over?" Vivi spoke up as soon as everyone went silent. He looked at me, hoping I had an answer, but the answer was as evident as the monster in front of us.

"Yes, it's over." I said. I saw Alyssa fall back on her butt and gave a sigh of relief. Zidane cheered with a victorious stance as Blank high-fived him. We were still missing one more detail. "Steiner, look!" I shouted over to the knight. High above the defeated plant, the branches that were holding the princess in place started to decompose.

"Princess!" Steiner ran as he saw one of the branches fall off. A few seconds later, every single branch gave away, making the princess fall down towards the ground. Everyone gasped as they saw Garnet fall while Steiner jumped into the air. In what seemed like slow-motion, Steiner managed to catch the princess just before she hit the ground, making everyone give out a relieved breath. Now Steiner was trying to wake up sleeping beauty by shaking her senseless.

Blank turned to me and pointed to the bag. "Give her the stuff." He says. I opened the bag and grabbed the purple bottle filled with the seed remover medicine he made. I gave it to Zidane, who knelt beside the unconscious princess and gently poured the medicine into her mouth. When the bottle was emptied, Garnet coughed a few times before settling down in the knight's arms.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Vivi asked. Zidane was about to answer his question when the ground started to shake. The remains of Plant Brain started to be absorbed into the earth as a giant hole opened up where it was. Everyone backed away from the hole as the shaking stopped.

Then something crawled out of the black pit, something spider-like with a red upper body like a corrupted rose and six green vine-like pointed tentacles for legs. It was the Plant Spider, offspring of the Plant Brain. Another one crawled up behind it and hissed at us. We were going to back up towards the way we came in when we heard a different set of hisses. There was another group of Plant Spiders entering through the entrance.

I saw the horrified look of the people around me. We were virtually surrounded.

"Let's get out of here!" Zidane told everyone and nobody disagreed.

"No sudden movements." I advised them. I raised up my hands as if I was surrendering after sheathing my knife and slowly made my way to a path to the right that led deep into the forest and eventually the way out. Zidane followed with Steiner close by. Vivi and Alyssa gently trailed behind them with Blank bringing up the rear ever so slowly, making Zidane shout at him.

The Plant Spiders all turned to our direction and menacingly approached us with its tentacles ready to attack. "Okay, this is the part where we run for our respective lives," I say to the others in a calm manner. I looked behind me and saw an open path leading downwards. "I SAID RUN!" I yelled at them, making them jump and bolt down the path.

Steiner (with Garnet in his arms) led the running troupe of airship emergency crash landing survivors with me, Alyssa, Vivi, Blank and Zidane following him in that very specific order. Our path stayed straight with a slight angle going downwards for most of the time, which I was thankful because my feet were about to give out and the fact that I could be devoured or implanted with a seed virus was the only thing that kept me going.

I looked behind me and saw everyone running and the Plant Spiders rushing excitedly to get its vines on our fresh human nervous systems. Suddenly, I collided with Steiner's armor and almost sent him tumbling down to the ground if it wasn't for Alyssa holding onto his armor until he balanced himself again. He stopped because the path was terribly misshapen, but the continuation was a feet or so down below. The three of us climbed down with Alyssa helping Steiner out with the princess's body. I was the first to reach the ground below and I regretted that achievement when a pair of Plant Spiders jumped down wherever it came from.

I just realized that Plant Spiders are almost bigger than us. Cue the wide eyes I did when it tried to attack me.

"Hold the princess for me, will you?" Alyssa said as she dumped Garnet onto my arms. She and Steiner quickly took their swords and sliced the Plant Spiders into pieces while the others proceeded to descend. And did I mention that Garnet was heavy. Dear lord, I felt my arms shake the longer I was carrying her and with enough shaking I could possibly re-break my right arm. Here I was with a messenger bag containing a tent, some vials of potions, eye drops and ethers that had been digging into my shoulders throughout this whole ordeal now straddled with the responsibility of carrying royalty. Curse my luck.

"The path is clear." Steiner picked the princess up from my arms and continued running. I'll complain about this later. Now I just want to get out of this forest.

Behind us I could hear Blank shouting at Zidane for stopping and making the correct observation that the forest is alive, like it was coming after us. He was going to hand the responsibility of taking care of everyone to Blank, which he did not want to have, in case something happened to him. He was trying to apologize to him in case he did something unnecessarily heroic, the idiot.

As we continued down the path that curved to the right with the trees beginning to thin out and widen out the path, we figured that fighting the Plant Spiders was slowing us down, so we all universally agreed to just run around, jump or evade the Plant Spiders. Somehow, Zidane managed to take the lead from Steiner. Far into what seemed like a never-ending horizon of trees I saw a clearing, a meadow with a tall, angled rock. That was it, the end of the forest.

"I can see the ending!" Alyssa gasped as she pointed straight ahead. With that, I channeled all the reserved energy I had through all of the times I was lazy into my legs to reach that clearing. All of us overtook Zidane as we neared the exit, except for Blank.

I didn't dare look back as we neared the last of the trees and finally, finally exited that demented woodland with a diabolical species of plants. Finally…

"Finally…" I managed in a breath as I collapsed onto the grass, fatigued, sweating and still alive. That was good enough for me.

I looked over to the edge of the forest and saw Zidane approaching as fast as he can with the vines just close by. It tried to get him with various swiped and overtakes, almost decapitating him once, but he proved to be too agile for the forest to handle. With just a few feet left between him and freedom, the blond member of Tantalus jumped out, successfully evading the grasp of the Evil Forest.

The vines of the forest, probably a bit unhappy that they didn't make their quota of petrifying people, sealed off the way out we had just used and proceeded to turn to stone too, surprising the three main protagonists at this turn of events. That made Zidane go a bit crazy, seeing as to what his friend's fate implied.

I managed to get to my feet with the help of Alyssa, who then tried to help Zidane calm down afterwards. Steiner and Vivi looked on with different reactions to this, but overall they were both tired. I was tired too. Hell, I was even more tired than all four of them combined if that even made sense.

Before I could even cool down and relax, I felt an increasing pain in my chest. I breathed out in surprise as the pain made it difficult to breathe. I felt dizzy as I struggled to breathe, but throughout that moment of dizziness I noticed that none of them has seen me having what I think was a heart attack. Not a heart attack per say, but I felt like I was having one.

It eventually subsided, making me gasp sharply. My sudden intake of air made some of the oxygen down the wrong pipe, making me cough loud enough to elicit some attention from the others.

"Are you okay?" I hear Vivi ask as he came up to me and patted my back.

"Y-Yeah." I shakily replied. "Fatigued, y-you know. I just need rest." And an oxygen tank, though I doubt they have a functioning one in hand.

What the hell was that!? What just happened? Did I just seriously almost die because of oxygen deprivation? What the hell…

If this is a sign of some almighty being telling me that I should improve my cardio then I'll admit that God does exist and I would happily oblige in a diet and an exercise regimen to do so. But I seriously doubt that is actually the case.

We have other things to worry about, other MAJOR things like following the plot and surviving. I can't just add my health problem all willy-nilly because of a little difficulty with breathing. I just hope that it's a one-time thing. I hope it is.


	10. A Good Cover Story Should Cover All of the Basics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to recover after one hell of a fight.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 9: A Good Cover Story Should Cover All of the Basics

-Alyssa-

The Evil Forest, previously a place filled with scary monsters and an equally eerie atmosphere, a place that Zidane, Vivi, Steiner, Blake and I escaped after a surprise crash landing in the middle of said forest, was now not a normal forest. As soon as we escaped through those last rows of trees, the vines wrapped around every single tree that was part of the forest until the vines covered every single nook and cranny of every path, leaving no area uncovered, making the forest with no way of getting in and getting out.

Now, I bet you noticed that one name was left unmentioned. There's a reason for that. Blank, Zidane's friend, sacrificed himself and saved Zidane from a horrible fate. And if that wasn't bad enough, the entire forest started petrifying itself during the final stretch of our run. Now the Evil Forest stood before us encased in white stone.

Too much overkill just to off one person, right?

Zidane was distraught. He was pounding on the stone vines, yelling out his friend's name, earning him the concerned stares of me and Vivi. I've seen and played through this part, and even with the knowledge of this thing happening, it still makes me feel sad for Zidane. I'm sure Blank and Zidane shared a lot of fun times with each other, you know like thieving and stealing things together and such, and just seeing a close friend sacrifice himself isn't something anyone can't feel bad about. Remembering the image in that FMV with Blank, petrified in the grasp of a Plant Spider, almost made me tear up.

"There is nothing to cry about someone you barely knew." Blake told me later when we were sitting in front of the camp fire. He said it so coldly that I saw how indifferent he was towards what just happened.

I didn't know the person, but it wasn't hard to feel sad. Sure, he gets better later on, but just think about what Zidane felt when he saw this happen. He was banging on stone with his hands and muttering how much of an idiot Blank was. If they switched roles, the same would pretty much happen.

I just don't want to think about it anymore. It's so saddening.

We made camp just a few meters away from what remained of Evil Forest. Zidane and Blake put up the tent, even though the latter refused to do so at first that I had to coax him into it, while I helped Vivi with the fire. Princess Garnet was still out of it, now currently sleeping inside the tent since she needed comfort for her to recover, with Steiner standing outside keeping guard. He's still cautious of almost everyone except for 'Master' Vivi, his distrust aimed mostly towards Zidane and Blake.

"It's because he thought I murdered that one soldier." The boy with the cast muttered to me.

When we were all settled into our camping spot with the sun's light starting to dim as it sets over the horizon filled with Mist, Blake and I were seated around the camp fire opposite to where the tent was as Steiner paced around it and grumbled something under his breath. Vivi had already nodded off into a nap in front of the tent. Zidane went off alone to find something to eat, and perhaps cheer himself up.

He eventually returned and brought a dead Mu, a small four-legged white and blue furred fox and wolf hybrid with a giant puffy tail, in his arms. It was slightly bloodied with two stab wounds, but that didn't bother him one bit. He set it down on a flat rock and put his daggers beside it.

"I hope the princess gets better." I said to nobody in particular. However, Steiner heard this and was reminded of the princess's state and the events leading to it, exploding into a heated accusation.

"This is all your fault!" Steiner exclaimed, pointing to the blond thief, loud enough to make Vivi jump up from his sleep. Zidane looked like he was actively ignoring him. There was a thick silence as Zidane only minded the dead Mu he was chopping up. "Have you nothing to say, you filth!?"

Again, silence. All we could hear for a full minute was the wind blowing against the tent, the cracks of wood being burned and Zidane slicing Mu meat. Blake had proceeded to lie down and enjoyed the minute of silence and Vivi warmed his hands near the fire. Steiner's hands were shaking in anger at the thief as he went on ignored.

Then he noticed the tent move. He jumped up and turned around, panicked at probably a thought that something jumped in it and could be threatening the princess's life. That was nixed when Princess Garnet exited the tent on wobbly legs and a hand on her head.

"P-Princess!" Steiner stuttered in disbelief. Everyone, except for Blake, looked over to her in surprise. It had been a few hours since we escaped the forest, meaning Garnet had a lot of rest for the seed remover antidote to work its magic. She even had more rest than Blake and Vivi combined. She still looked a bit pale and a bit dazed.

"…Steiner?" Her voice cracked too. She shook her head, but that only made her feel worse. "…How did I survive…You brought me here?"

"It is my sworn duty to protect you at any cost." Steiner said as he knelt beside the princess. Zidane heard this and didn't like Steiner not giving credit where credit is due.

"What are you talking about? It was Vivi's magic, Alyssa's skills, Blake's distractions and my dagger that got you out of there." Zidane stated as he pointed to each of us for our parts in her rescue. The princess looked at all of us with a gentle smile.

"I thank you all." She simply said.

"Distractions? That's not all I did..." I heard Blake mumble. Zidane apparently heard this too, turning around to the injured teenager and shrugged.

"Well, you can't fight. At least you still have some credit." Blake's features turned into a frown. Before he could answer back with something, Steiner beat him to the punch.

"That monkey deserves no praise!" He shouted. "None of this would've happened if you and your band hadn't kidnapped the princess! And how dare you claim that you have rescued her!? When we get back to Alexandria, I will –"

"…Steiner." Despite her voice being a little low, Steiner heard her amidst his shouting. He stopped and knelt back down beside her. "I left the castle of my own will."

"What a coincidence, eh?" Zidane crossed his arms and grinned. Even Steiner looked a bit confused at this revelation. "We went to snatch her, and she wanted to be snatched."

"That is quite the coincidence." Blake remarked as he sat up.

"Why did you want to get kidnapped?" I asked. We were playing dummies for this part, already knowing the reason for this and much more. But we didn't want to say that. Plus, who would believe that we know everything, right?

Princess Garnet looked away, not wanting to answer the big question in everyone's mind. "Impossible!" Steiner stood up, but Garnet put a hand up, silencing the trusty knight.

"It's true." She said with her eyes downcast. Again, still not answering the million dollar, er… gil question.

Zidane walked up to the fire with that ever confident and charming grin on his face. "So what do you say, Rusty? Friends?" He even held out his hand towards him. "Come on. Let's just enjoy this camping trip while it lasts."

And apparently, Steiner doesn't like the idea of camping in a place filled with dangerous monsters always on the prowl. Some boy scouts back at home would kill for an opportunity to camp out in a place like this so they'll get some badges. Too bad, the scout masters are so paranoid nowadays.

I remember a friend of mine telling me while he was a boy scout a few years back that he was able to catch a snake that got on their camping grounds with a couple of mouse traps and a butterfly net. It wasn't poisonous, but still scared a lot of boy scouts, even the scout master was terrified. Anyway, I got sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yeah, Steiner…

"Camping – you imbecile! Surely even you must know something about the Mist." He gestured the place surrounding us. Sure, the Mist was like fog by how it looked and by the definition that most dictionaries give it, but it wasn't Silent Hill. "The monsters it spawns! The abnormalities it stirs in the mind and body!"

"How bad is the Mist? I don't hear a lot of people complaining about it back at home." I said with a tilt of my head. Steiner turned to me and began to explain.

"It twists the mind, driving some denizens of the Mist Continent mad. It alters the body, injuring the organs in a certain way, making them incapable of functioning unless treated immediately. It hardens the heart, cripples the lungs, and deteriorates the overall condition of the person." Steiner sounded like he was supposed to scare little boys and girls with his tone and how most of those facts sounded like they were actual facts. Maybe they are, I just don't know.

"When you say 'hardens the heart', do you mean it improves cardio?" I ask innocently. Everything he just said was so grim. At least I tried to ease the tension a bit.

I personally didn't know anything about the Mist. The only thing I knew about the Mist was that it spawns monsters and is a central plot point later on. Aside from that, nothing. I turned to Blake to see if he had anything to contribute with just a look on his face. From what I got, he didn't have anything to say. He was deep in thought, something else was bothering him. I hope he's just thinking of what to do in the next area.

"What I'm trying to point out here is that we must leave this dangerous place at once," insisted the captain of the Knights of Pluto. He was right. If we were to stay here, then his charge would be in constant danger, something he'd not be willing to happen. She'd already been in danger once, and lord knows what else is out here. Well, there ain't much else out here except for the ice cavern.

"You've got to be kidding." Zidane interjected. "She hasn't recovered yet." He was right about that too. Garnet looked too sick to be walking around. I bet her legs would give out before we could even get ten paces to our destination.

"Silence!" Steiner really loves making us jump out of our seats. "Who asked your opinion!?"

"If I may," Blake raised his casted hand, opting to catch the knight's attention. "I know you're saying all of this so that you'll keep your favor with the princess, but I do ask that you think first." He pointed to the petrified forest behind us. "I am sure you remember what we just went through in that forest. I am sure you know how tired we are. And I am certainly sure that you know how vulnerable people are when they are tired. Now, no offense to the princess, but I think the four of us, who just barely escaped the Evil Forest with our lives intact, would face more difficulties if we were to walk around in a Mist-filled field carrying around dead weight with whatever remaining strength we have left."

…Did he just call the princess dead weight?

I look over to Garnet and saw her frown for a bit for the insult, but it softened into a thoughtful expression. She knew what he meant and let the insult slide. Steiner himself was thinking it over too. Zidane continued on for Blake after the momentary silence, thinking that he can add more things for Steiner to think about.

"And how do you plan on getting out of here? We're standing in a valley surrounded by tall cliffs. And last I heard North and South Gate were sealed off." He turned to the knight, now standing and still thinking over what was just said. With the quiet atmosphere around us, Zidane once again spoke, this time with a small grin on his face. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

With the knight stumped, left growling after being trumped with the facts, Zidane tried approaching Garnet as he was telling that the antidote takes time before the seeds are fully out of Garnet's system. When the armored man tried objecting to Zidane's leadership, the blond thief wanted him to state his sworn duty, which was to protect the princess at all costs. That meant her safety and well being has to be looked after too. That finally made him agree.

It was kinda funny, being forced to submit to the enemy's terms with your own sworn duty. Kinda ironic too since this would only endanger her more. But that's for them to figure out on their own. Blake and I are just in it for the fun of it all.

After that, everyone agreed that we were going to camp out here until Garnet's okay, which would probably tomorrow. With the gray sky over us and a thick blanket of Mist, we all went to sleep in agreed silence. Tomorrow is going to be a cold and long day.

The next day, I woke up around the same time the sun was rising. Bright orange light, not gray light that we came out of the forest, but orange rising sun light. It's surprising to me because the only time you see a sun rise up in the sky during the game is when you exit the Ice Cavern, and that could take while. That's probably one of the effects when you're currently living out a game right before your eyes, you know? Even virtual worlds have the ability to feel organic and real.

I sat up from where I was sleeping and looked around. Okay, still a bit Misty and thankfully nobody has been taken while we were sleeping. Zidane had his back on the tall angled rock beside camp, Garnet was obviously in the tent since she needs to recover, Steiner amazingly slept while he stood, Vivi was lying on his side facing the fire, or what was left of it, and Blake…

Blake was already up, standing right next to the stream near our camping site, hands held behind him as he looked out to the open area. How long has he been awake?

As I walked over towards him, I notice him double over for a moment, looking like he's struggling with something. What was wrong? He didn't show anything wrong with him before he went to sleep yesterday. "Blake, are you okay?" I asked as I ran up to him.

He heard me and instantly straightened himself, but he coughed for a few seconds before being able to turn around to look at me. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all." I looked over him carefully. I didn't know if he was lying or not, but early mornings is not the time to argue.

"Okay, if you say so." I said to him. "Enjoy your sleep?"

"Meh," He titled his injured right hand to the left and right as he said this. "I might've enjoyed it more if I had a pillow or something soft to cushion my head from the incredibly uncomfortable ground. And I think a bit of grass got in my ear."

I chuckled at the last bit. Now I have an image of him snoring unconsciously with his head sideways on the grass. He was checking his left ear if it did have some grass upon mention of it, but came up empty, which was a good thing. We don't want him to have a garden in his auditory canal. He doesn't look like the type to want one.

"Anyway," I said once my thoughts were organized again. "You're up early."

"That's because of the grass." He replied quickly, then a hesitant pause. I could tell that there's something else just fm how his eyes shifted. "…And there's something's bothering me." Bothering him? I wonder what that could be. "Judging from that look on your face, you're probably wondering about that." I could only rub the back of my head and nod. He's got it all figured out.

"Fine, I'll tell you." Blake sighed. He faced me and took out his knife, looking at the weapon with a frown. "Do you think I'm useless just because I can't fight?"

Whoa. Where's this coming from? Is it because of what Zidane said earlier and what Steiner told him in Evil Forest? Was he bothered by that? "Don't listen to what Zidane and Steiner said. Vivi wouldn't have been rescued if it wasn't for your plan. It would probably take them a bit longer to figure out that cutting the stems would help."

Blake shook his head, still looking upset. "He was right. I can't fight. If I'm to survive in a world like this, then I would need to know how to defend myself."

Then I had a thought. "I can teach you how to fight!"

He didn't even take my idea into consideration as he rolled his eyes at my suggestion. "Please," Blake scoffed. "I need someone with more experience, not from someone who learned from a middle-aged man with half-hearted lessons read loudly from a book."

Hey! Who do you think you are to judge my teacher just like that? One, he's not old, he's twenty going thirty; two, he has a lot of talent and is proud of sharing what he knows to his students; and three, he almost got into the Olympics once, so don't underestimate his skills just because you don't personally know him. He's a kind hearted expert, a soft-spoken master, and a gentleman. If you were rude in front of him, he'd floor you faster before you could even bend down to remove your shoes, and then you'd wish you bowed down before a great mentor.

Before I stomped away towards the camp, I remembered a certain thing he did to me yesterday. I focused all of the anger that came from that remark about my mentor and slapped him on the back of his head. He almost toppled over into the stream, but I pulled him back, making him land on his back.

"That's for using me as a shield yesterday!" I said before storming off. That guy really has some problems.

Some ten minutes passed and everyone started to wake up. Zidane was up first, yawning and stretching his arms, scratching his head while looking around. I greeted him, with him greeting me back, as he stood up. He saw Blake, who was still over there by the stream now pacing back and forth. Zidane asked me, upon seeing that everyone else was still sound asleep, if I was hungry. Now that he brought it up, I do feel a bit hungry. That made me remember how tasty that Mu was last night even if it was only put on a stick and fried on a stick with some seasonings the thief brought with him.

Why he would bring food seasonings is anyone's guess. Mine would be that he knew that we'd have to hunt for our food. It's kinda like those survival shows in Discovery Channel where they kill their own food.

That reminded me of that one time I went camping with my family, along with some of my cousins, and they insisted that we hunt our own food. They also brought some spices and herbs to make the dead animals taste better than plain dead animal. That was some fun I had with my family.

My family… Oh my gosh… I wonder if they know what happened to me. It's going to be hard for them to hear that their daughter got struck by lightning, and I don't even know if I'm just hallucinating or, like Blake's theory, dreaming. I've been so busy running around trying not to get myself killed that I forgot about my parents. I felt a tinge of guilt hit me in the heart. How could I not have thought about them the first time I woke up in the Prima Vista?

I wonder what they're doing right now. Have they realized that something has happened to me? Has Nina and the others called an ambulance and rushed me to a hospital? God, I wish I know what they're doing right now. Everything's just been so… bizarre that I haven't come to grips yet as to what has happened to me yet.

I just hope everyone back at home is okay and that this is just one massive electro-charged hallucination.

"Alyssa, are you okay?" I heard Zidane ask as he waved a gloved hand in front of my face. "You've been staring at your feet for a while there."

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry," I said as I shook my head and tried to play it off. "I got lost in thought for a moment there."

Zidane scratched the back of his head, looking curiously at me. "Thinking of what? Something you wanna share?"

I arched an eyebrow at this. "No. It's something really personal." I walked on ahead, trying to put back my focus on our current objective: finding our next culinary victim. "What's with the sudden curiosity?"

"Nothing much." The thief said as he caught up with me with a few long strides. "You're always keeping to yourself or talking to Blake for some reason."

"Talking to friends isn't bad. I… uh…" Crap. This is why I only talk to Blake. I don't need to lie to him because he already knows how deep in trouble we are and how messed up this whole thing is. Okay Alyssa, just try to act casual and try to not blatantly lie to Zidane. He's a thief and thieves know their liars. "I don't have anything against everyone. I'm a friendly girl! It's just that… I… we… uh… how do I put this…"

"You're close?" Zidane suggested.

I shook my head at the thought. But there was a pause, trying to think of what to say do I don't give anything away, before I spoke again. But I can't lie to Zidane… "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Sensitive information?" He asked. Before I could reply, he made this sound that suggested something…off-putting to me. "Oh! Did you two-?"

"What!? God no!" If Zidane finished that line I would've smacked him in the face for even thinking about such a thing. I barely know the guy! His sister is the one I know and we're just acquaintances because of her.

Gosh…Nina. I wonder what's happening back at home…. Are we still unconscious on that beach or are we actually dead? The chances of lightning hitting us were very, very, VERY slim and the random chance generator managed to give us the lucky number. The more I think about that, the more my mind goes back to my friends. I wish they were here to tell me that everything's going to be okay…

Zidane's glove once again passed by my face. "You zoned out again."

"Sorry," I apologized. "Honestly, just seeing Blake, someone familiar, is… it just makes everything easier to handle, you know? It's easier to have someone you can comfortable talk with."

"You can always have a comfortable talk with me if you'd like."

I paused for a moment before looking at him, seeing a smirk on his face. "Are you hitting on me?"

The monkey-tailed actor just shrugged with a grin on his face. "C'mon, don't tell me this is your first time getting hit on." He was nudging me with his elbow in a teasing manner that got me to chuckle.

I shook my head as I tried to hide the smile forming with my hand. I can't believe this is happening. Really, this should not be happening. Zidane didn't just hit on me. "No. Please don't. It's flattering, but… just no."

"What? You've never been hit on before?" He asked as he kept smirking.

"I have, but it coming from you, it's kinda embarrassing. Here you are, an actor for goodness sake, trying to hit on a normal girl like me." Plus, he's not just an actor. He's a thief, a suave kidnapper and that he's one of the main protagonists in a videogame. It just seems very odd that someone very fictional, yet very real right now, to be trying to do that to me.

He eventually dropped the topic as we discussed other things. Thank goodness too, because if he would've pressed on the issue some more I would've run back to camp and let him hunt on his own. Anyway, we found some Mus patrolling a small wooden area. It was probably where they rested after spawning in such a big place. We only took down one of them, which wasn't that hard, and forced the others to retreat with only light wounds. They'll be back, and we'll have room for lunch when that time comes.

Vivi, Garnet and Steiner were awake when we got back. Well, I think Steiner is awake. I really can't tell with that guy standing and sleeping at the same time. I wonder how he can do that without toppling over. So weird… Oh, and Blake's sitting by the fire our resident black mage restarted. He is so awesome. Why can't the real world have magic? If Harry Potter is a sign then magic's the only thing keeping children sane, unless there's an evil wizard trying to take over the world.

Garnet still felt weak from her condition. Zidane tried offering an 'acting remedy' to cheer her up, but once Steiner caught wind of it he started shouting at the blond lady-killer for 'insinuating such activity', his words. I'm guessing she doesn't get sick often and when she does get sick it affects her greatly. Probably like a normal flu would only make a kid sick for a day but make a very vulnerable kid sick for two or three days.

We all had a change of topic when Zidane brought something up previously discussed in the forest.

"You know, you guys never really answered Rusty back there in the forest." That made Vivi and Steiner ponder back on what was said back then. Only Garnet looked confused since she wasn't there to begin with.

"Oh that," I nervously chuckled. "I guess we were in too much of a hurry to save the princess to answer."

"Well, we have all the time in the world now." Zidane said. He put a finger to the side of his head as he tried to remember what we said. "I think you said you got onstage by accident."

"Yeah. It's pretty embarrassing." I chuckle again, the Mu meat on a stick in my hand shaking as well.

"Not as embarrassing as your attire." Blake commented offhandedly with a twirl of his food. "And your name." That one was a murmur, but I was sitting beside him so that made it easy to hear. I pointed the stick with some Mu meat Zidane cut up and cleaned for consumption threateningly.

"Hey, I didn't have a choice!" I brought back my stick in front of me, noticing Zidane, Garnet and Vivi chuckling. "Anyway, I was working in the engine room of the Prima Vista when everything you guys did started happening. You know for a princess you're pretty athletic, Garnet."

"Thank you." Garnet said with a small smile.

"Please address Her Highness as 'princess'." Steiner told me, holding Garnet's food with his other hand. His excuse was the princess was still too weak to hold onto anything, so now he's helping her with it. Zidane just gave him a meaningful look.

"Sorry." I apologized and continued answering Zidane's question. "Anyway, I followed you guys at the urging of my coworkers and saw you guys were fighting. I told them what was happening, but wanted to see the end of the fight so I came back. When I did, oglops were already hopping everywhere. My coworkers helped with that bit while I noticed that Steiner, Zidane and Garnet here weren't there anymore. I moved to the next room and see the platforms going up. One thing led to another and in a panic I accidentally found myself on the last platform."

"Just out of curiosity, how in the world did you find yourself on that platform?" Blake asked with a sly smile forming at the edges of his mouth. Oh, you ass. You already know this, yet you want me to say it. Now you got Zidane curious. I can't weasel my way out of this.

"…Some oglops…got into…my clothes…and …and made …activate…the platform…by accident…" I muttered, trying to avoid everyone's gazes. A second later, Zidane burst out laughing alongside Blake. I saw Steiner raise an eyebrow, but had a smile on his face. Even Garnet was in on it, laughing inwardly with a hand on her mouth. At least Vivi looked unsure whether to join them or not, but there was still a smile forming on his face.

"Sorry…sorry." Zidane tried to say as his laugh began to die down, almost dropping his food due to the laughing. I glared at Blake, who stopped laughing immediately and grinned evilly. Oh, I see now. He's still miffed about the 'accessory' thing and he's just getting even. Okay, now we're even. I hope you're happy. "Man, I needed that."

"I'm glad you got cheered up on my expense." I stood up and sat somewhere away from the black haired teenager, which was right beside Vivi. He gave a comforting smile. Vivi, you innocent soul, you don't know how many lies were just said today. I hope you don't have to find out about it soon.

"How about you?" Steiner regarded Blake this time with his Mu stick. "Last time you mentioned Alexandrian soldiers trying to arrest you."

Blake waved at the claim dismissively. "Yeah. I didn't do anything against the law to warrant their attention, but they decided to harass me as if I did. I'm just a salesman trying to earn my place in the world." He's very confident with his own cover story. He's probably memorized every detail in that story of his to avoid any inconsistencies.

"Salesman?" Vivi asked. "You sell potions and that kind of stuff?"

"So you're a merchant with a fancy name?" Zidane added after taking a bite out of his Mu.

"No, not that kind of stuff." Blake said. "I'm not that kind of guy who sells potions, ethers or tents to adventurers to get an easy buck. I also prefer the term 'salesman' in order to sound professional." He gave Zidane a look with narrowed eyes, making it perfectly clear that he's intent on sticking with the word 'salesman'. "I dwell on the high quality merchandise people really want. And before you ask, no, what I do is not illegal."

"And what exactly did you do to attract the attention of the soldiers?" Inquired the princess.

"Now that's the funny story I was telling you guys about. You see, I had just arrived in Alexandria to meet with a very important client. A few minutes upon arrival, I was mugged and left incapacitated on the side of the street. Upon waking up and realizing that the item my client had bought was gone, I freaked out. Because of this I accidentally thrashed a stand there belonging to someone really frightening. It resulted in a chase around town that involved a few soldiers joining in. They managed to subdue the owner while I escaped."

"Wow. Looking at you, I didn't really expect someone like you to get in such a big deal like that." Zidane admitted.

"I know. It was quite the escapade."

"I saw you watch the play in the Nobles section." Vivi commented after remembering the crazy events of the Prima Vista's escape.

"Ah yes. My client was big on plays and was excited to see I Want to be Your Canary, so he treated me to it and bought me a ticket before I got there. It was odd that I didn't see him there. He IS a busy man, so that should have been no surprise. Apparently, the soldier at the gate 'recognized' me," He brought up his hands and air quoted the word with an irritated look. "She tried arresting me there, forcing me to get on the escaping airship since I had nowhere else to go."

Zidane nodded at the end of his story. Blake's already covered his reason of being in Alexandria at that time and another for being at the play. Maybe the part about the soldier was convenient or on purpose, but he's not yet shared with me if it was either when we were discussing about it. At least nobody is suspicious –

"How is it that you two know each other?"

Oh God. I forgot about that.

My head suddenly turned to the person who asked this. Garnet, it was Garnet who asked a question. I looked away the instant she turned to me for an answer. Why did you have to go and ask that? Crap! I didn't think someone would think about that and bring it up at the same time. I looked down to the ground hard. There's no way I can think of a lie that could properly explain that, and the fact that I'm no good in lying isn't helping. What am I going to do?

"Alyssa and I knew each other from way back." Blake spoke with a degree of indifference. I looked up to him as he glances over to me. "I met her through my father. I met Alyssa while they were conversing and we were friends ever since. We stayed in contact while we were young, trading letters here and there, visiting when able, and all those good stuff. Then we grew up and life started getting in the way. It's been a while, a very long time, but seeing her on the airship that night was a surprise I never thought was possible."

He smiled at me when he ended it. Something in me thought that the smile wasn't genuine. It was a mask he was using to further push the lies convincingly to the others, a manufactured smile. I didn't know that he could be so deceptive. The look on everyone's faces showed that they believed every bit of what he said. Convinced that we were already in the clear, he went back to taking a bite on his seasoned Mu.

Everyone chatted about something else after that. Whether it may be about the Mist, the performance of the stars in the play, which made Zidane happy when Vivi said his performance was great, or what our next move would be, they talked about it at great length. Vivi was the one who suggested to go through the Ice Cavern that was somewhere towards the south.

Afterwards breakfast was a boring time we all used to get some more rest. I would've suggested something more proactive other than lying around the grass and waiting for Garnet to feel better. If only they knew what was going to happen in that cavern.

As I was looking up to the sky, unhindered by the Mist, Blake walked up to me and looked down with a serious expression on his face. "What? Not yet done humiliating me?" I say to him with a frown. What he did back there is unforgivable. I could have died of embarrassment there. Now that we're even,

A small smile crept up on his face. "That? Oh, Alyssa that is just the tip of the iceberg." The smile turned into a sneer as he continued to look down on me. "This 'accessory' isn't ready to forgive just yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask upon sitting up. He straightened up a bit, but was still looking down on me and maintained eye contact, making me do the same.

"Food for thought." He shrugged. "Anyway, I want you to help me persuade a certain someone here to teach me how to fight. Seeing that you're good with people, your help would be indispensable."

You know what would be indispensable? An apology. "I'd help you, but I want you to say sorry first."

He cocked an eyebrow up at this. "Say sorry? What for?"

"What do you mean what for?" I got up and poked him at the shoulder irritatingly. "You embarrassed me in front of everyone. Most people apologize when they do that to their friends."

"Well, I'm not like most people." He put a hand on his chest and grinned as he referred to himself. "Plus, I was only making your story clearer, easier to understand. They would obviously ask the same thing if I didn't do so. So no apology needed. You should be thanking me just for that."

What!? The nerve of this guy. You know, I actually thought that he would be more friendly compared to his sister, but now he just seems a little rude than what I actually guessed. "Just for that you get no help from me." I turned on my heel and walked away from the boy. He said something towards my direction, but I ignored it. Let him do it on his own. If he can make up lies, I'm sure he can do a genuine inquiry on how to fight.

The question is who he will be asking.

He stood there silently, his casted arm crossed on his chest with his good hand on his chin, thinking of what to do next. I looked around and saw two possible choices he might have. Zidane was chatting up a conversation with Vivi, sharing a chuckle with the black mage; his other choice was Steiner, standing tall and unmoving from the front of the tent that contained Garnet's resting form. Vivi's not included since he can't use black magic. He can either pick between a skilled thief and an experienced knight, the tailed klepto and the captain of the Pluto Knights, the adoring blond of Tantalus and the man who accused him of murder.

It's not a hard choice. He's obviously going to pick Zidane. I placed my hands on my hips confidently, fully predicting what he'll do next. I can feel it. I am so totally right. No way in Hell I'll be wrong.

"Excuse me, captain?"

…

What!? Why'd he go to Steiner? The guy _accused him of murder_! Maybe that's not clear to him. If I was him, I wouldn't even want to seek help from him until he apologizes.

I see Steiner turn to Blake as the teenager was acting like he was embarrassed of asking help from him. He was scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile on his face as he talked. Steiner was narrowing his eyes at the teenager as they talked, well as Blake talked anyway. The two exchanged some words for a little bit before Steiner begrudgingly nodded. The two of them walked off somewhere as I looked on. Zidane noticed this development and asked me where the two were going.

"Well, let's just say that Blake took what you said about him a bit too seriously." I said, making the thief flinch.

It's not his fault really. Blake has brains, but the thought of being useless during a fight must have struck a chord with him. Nobody wants to be useless in any situation. He's probably thought that there will be times when he'll be alone and would need to defend himself. Blake's not totally useless, mind you. All he needs is the right push to fight.

And right now, he's trying to remedy that with the help of Steiner.

-FF FF FF-

"Is she the same girl from earlier?" Vivi asked, to which I nodded.

"Yeah. She's the same girl that stabbed him in the chest. But good thing they can't die, right?" I said. "Though, they can still feel pain."

"I'd hate to be on the bad side of that kind of girl." Zidane commented. "And what about this Operation Tornado? How was it going?"

"Well, it was going smoothly…" Zidane, Vivi and I were sitting at our camp site with nothing to do, so I decided to tell them a story to entertain them while we waited for Blake and Steiner. I started to tell them about Angel Beats! I wanted to let the whole thing stay as it was, but I was wondering if this world had guns and that they couldn't identify with it. Zidane told me that they knew of guns, but they were hard to get nowadays. Thank goodness for that.

That meant I didn't have to change some aspects of the story. Well, there's the electric guitars and the whole band and their instruments, but I just changed it to other instruments and described the giant electric fans as 'a ventilation system installed within the buildings'. I'll worry about the ending of the anime with the computers when it comes.

Some thirty minutes, or I think was thirty minutes since I didn't have a watch on me, had passed since Blake and Steiner went off somewhere. If you didn't know, Blake needed some help trying to fight. I still remember what he said during the fight with the Prison Cage as he was making plans on how to attack it.

_I'm a thinker, not a fighter._

That's what he believes. Maybe he doesn't know that there have been smart guys that got really physical. Sherlock Holmes is known to have some skill in hand-to-hand combat, Jason Bourne speaks in a lot of languages and can kick anyone's butt using anything from a screwdriver to a coffee mug, Vladimir Putin can throw down with judo and even Theodore Roosevelt was an excellent student and an incredible boxer with a ju jitsu belt to his credit.

Anyways, I managed to tell the story of the first episode of the anime quite well. Vivi and Zidane enjoyed it as far as I could tell. Vivi even asked if something else happened, to which I said that there were other things, but I promised him that I'd tell him more later.

My storytelling gig didn't distract me from just how long the two have been gone. I hope everything's alright. I'm sure Blake doesn't need another injured limb to go along with his broken hand. Zidane noticed this immediately, bringing my attention to him.

"You know, Blake doesn't even look like a fighter." Zidane comments as the subject of our conversation circled back to the two's absence.

"Vivi doesn't look like a fighter, but he can cast magic." I countered. Vivi adjusts his yellow hat when he was brought up. "Not that decreases your value to the party, Vivi. You're pretty powerful."

"Yeah," Zidane adds. "We wouldn't have beaten the boss back there if it weren't for you."

"Gee… I was only helping." He said, feeling a little embarrassed. I put a hand on his shoulder with a smile on his face, making him smile too.

"Nonsense. Steiner might've got the last hit, but your magic left an incredible mark on the fight." I say to him. He's just too adorable and too naïve right now that it makes me envious. He must think that this is just a little adventure he accidentally got caught up with. All of that is going to change when we get to the next town, and knowing about that and being not allowed to tell him about it makes me feel a bit awful.

"And we might've not rescued you if you didn't start putting that thing that captured you on fire." Zidane noted. Oh yeah, the fight with Prison Cage. The first was incredibly easy because of Zidane's Trance. The second one was harder, but we made it through with Vivi's magic.

"I panicked." Vivi admitted with a gloved finger rubbing against his cheek. Aw, so humble.

"You know who also helped with that? Blake." I said. "His plan about cutting off the stems was useful."

Zidane and Vivi nodded. When he suggested it to us, the tide of the fight immediately changed in our favor. If only he figured that out during the first fight with Garnet being the one held in captivity. I'm sure Zidane is thinking about the same thing just from the look of his face right now. Maybe he did it on purpose.

_This fight will be going nowhere as it begins. Plant Brain here won't get affected by the attacks early on. We need Zidane to be in critical condition in order to make the fight move on to its second phase._

That was his plan for the Plant Brain. Let Zidane go down so Blank can come and save the day. What kind of plan was that?

_Cruel it may be, but that is how this fight goes. That's how this fight goes and what I say is final._

"He's resourceful, I'll give him that." You wouldn't be saying that if you actually knew what his plan was when we were fighting that gigantic plant. That plan would actually justify your initial desire to leave him back at the Prima Vista.

"Yeah, I guess he is."

After a short while, we see two figures approaching us from the woodlands not far from camp. I guessed it was Steiner and Blake correctly, but Blake didn't seem like he had a fun time while they were there. He was coming up towards us on his arms and knees, crawling and panting like crazy while Steiner walked normally like nothing had happened. And I could hear Blake's panting from way over here.

"What happened?" Vivi asks Steiner since he was the first to reach us. Blake was still behind him, only managing to get to half the distance between the camp and the woodlands.

"He asked me to give him some advice on the essentials of fighting." Steiner replied as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "I told him that advice cannot be practiced by mere words, so we hunted some monsters for him to practice on."

"And how did it go?" I asked. I looked past him and saw Blake nearing. At the pace he was holding, it would be sundown before he could make it to camp, and also there's a possibility that he could get mauled by a Mu. That picture could either be funny or really, really sad.

Steiner replied with his arms thrown into the air, "Terrible! The man is not capable of putting up a fight even with a weapon. When faced with a monster, he tries to talk himself out of it, beg for an exit or attempt to give it money… sometimes all three at the same time!" He put a hand on his face as I tried to stifle a laugh.

"At least he's not completely useless." Zidane remarked.

"That he is not." Steiner replied. "He tried running around with a monster chasing him to tire it out. It did the opposite." Now I can't really stop myself from giggling. "I even gave him permission to use my sword, to which he was barely able to lift. Then after that, he managed to persuade a Mu to ignore him after he provoked it, only to stab it in the back and kill it as it was going away."

"He killed something. That's something, right?" I said amidst my giggling. Soon this is going to be full blown laughter.

"After half an hour, he managed to kill one – just one – monster. Even the most pathetic soldier in Alexandria can prove to be better than him." The knight assumed his position in front of the tent with his arms crossed. "I can't believe someone like him managed to murder a soldier."

"Not murder…" Oh finally. Blake managed to crawl into camp, desperately tired and looking ragged. He almost looked pathetic. Grass was in his hair, dirt and a few marks from attacking monsters covered his shirt and black vest. That's what happens when you crawl on the ground. "I just…pushed her off the airship."

"Some people have died from a drop at a height like that." Zidane said to the teenager.

Blake raised his hand and waved it to stop Zidane from speaking. "I'm not going to argue this right now. I'm tired and I have just proven to myself that I can't fight." Blake responded as he stopped moving face down on the ground, sounding crestfallen.

"There's a large difference between 'can't' and 'won't' fight." A gentle voice said this. We all turned to the tent to see an emerging Garnet, now looking radiant and comparatively better than earlier in the day. She's standing now and I could see that she's not feeling shaky anymore. Good for her.

And that means we can go to our next destination now. But first, let's hear what she's got to say to Blake.

"From what I have heard in your conversation, you avoid direct confrontation with the enemy." Garnet continued. Blake had managed to sit up with all of his remaining strength and looked at the princess as she talked.

"Why be direct…when you can work from…a different angle?" Blake replied to the princess as he was trying to pull out something from his pocket. I think what he's saying here is going with the course of action that requires less effort.

"Sometimes the easiest resolution is the one that is straight-forward." She advised the planner.

"I'm assuming you know this because you know how to fight," guessed Blake. Garnet nodded as she approached the group. Steiner stood directly beside her, always keeping guard just in case of an attack or some attempted approach by Zidane.

"I've had a great education back in the castle. Perhaps I know a little." It was Blake's turn to throw his hands into the air in exasperation. Geez, he's taking this quite seriously. Some guys back home would feel proud if they don't know how to fight. Fighting's not important anyway back home. All you need is a gun and you'll solve any problem with it.

"Great. The princess is better than me in combat. There goes my self-esteem." Garnet put a hand on Blake's shoulder when the boy slouched. Blake didn't turn his head towards the princess as she someone else spoke in her behalf.

"Maybe all you need is confidence in your abilities." Steiner suggested a course of action, but Blake shook his head at this.

"Confidence, now that I have." He finally got his hand out of his pocket with a vial of potion in it. "I just…don't like dirtying my own hands when it comes down to strenuous matters, you know?"

Zidane rubbed his chin after he stood up and walked towards Blake. "Then initiative is what you need. That's right!" He softly punches him on the shoulder and chuckled. "Speaking of that, now that Garnet's feeling a bit better we can probably move on out."

The red tie wearing boy groaned. "Five minutes. That is all I ask. Five minutes, then we move." He looked at Zidane straight in the eye with exhaustion written all over his face. Zidane agreed to it, saying that he needed some time to pack up the tent in its bag and check inventory. Well actually, I'm supposed to be the one to check inventory since it was my turn to carry the bag around.

Glad that he was given some time to rest, he popped open the potion in his hands and with a shrug he downed the vial of potion easily and gave out a relieved breath. He must've seen the 'what are you doing' face I was giving, making him instantly reply. "If potions can cure wounds, I'm sure it can cure fatigue."

Everyone started making preparations before we started moving out. We checked weapons and items carefully since we don't want to forget anything. Zidane went up to the remains of Evil Forest one last time, trying to find peace in his friend's sacrifice. Garnet joined him soon after and gave him some encouraging words. When they were done having a brief time of reflection, the two walked up to us side by side and nodded to all of us.

"Alright, let's get going!"


	11. Knocked Out Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where our heroes find a cold cave and try to overcome a harsh blizzard.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 10: Knocked Out Cold

-Alyssa-

One thing I was looking forward to leaving camp was the moogle that flies in and gives the party a flute to use when they want to save or rest. You know what happened? Nothing! Here I was expecting one of the adorable mascots of the series to appear and they don't even pop up. I did this also back in the Evil Forest in the purified spring before Plant Brain, only to be disappointed. This is what happens when you try hard to anticipate something only to be left hanging. I'm sure Blake is laughing inside at my expectations.

Anyway, we walked towards west of the Ceebell River, whose name I have just been informed by Blake, for some two hours or so while encountering some Goblins, Mus, our ever cute source of food, and some Pythons. The latter were dark green-scaled serpents that slithered around and pounded on you with its body, mostly its tail, in rapid succession and could use basic thunder spells.

Most of the monsters were no big deal for our party. With three frontline attackers, two magic supporters and one strategist, we were pretty solid and had the easiest time when handling monsters. Blake was the one who devised this formation, using his 'common sense' as he would say it, so that nobody just wildly charges in and recklessly puts the group in danger. Most of the work came from the frontline. Vivi would come in if the attackers were in bigger groups of four or more while Garnet would use her White Magic to heal us. Blake would just stand back with his arms folded in front of him with a satisfied smile.

And on the way to the cavern, Vivi learned to use thunder spells. That was a great addition to his skills. I'm sure he's excited on using it. Giving those Pythons a taste of their own medicine would satisfy anyone hit by their magic.

"The Guild was located under almost a hundred floors and the way there was filled with traps. All made to stop Angel from getting to them if she ever found out where they were." Oh yes, I continued telling the story about _Angel Beats_. It was a good way to spend the time while we weren't fighting any monsters, which was most of the time. "But the problem they all soon found out that the traps weren't deactivated, meaning the passage to The Guild was perilous."

They all listened intently, including Steiner. Well, he doesn't want to show it, but there's a hint of curiosity on his face when I took a glance of him. I gave Garnet a condensed version of the first episode so that she was up to speed. Blake didn't want one, yet he encouraged me to go and tell it so he wouldn't be bored of the silence in the group.

"The first trap they accidentally activated was a boulder. The Afterlife Battlefront tried to run away from the boulder as it rolled towards them. They managed to find a space in the walls they can use to hide as a way to get past it. Unfortunately, Takamatsu wasn't fast enough and got squashed."

"But I assume he's alright." Garnet spoke.

"Yeah. They can't die. He's just temporarily out of it. Moving on…"

We knew we were getting near to the Ice Cavern when we felt the air get colder and colder even if the temperature out here is lukewarm. A breeze flows through the air towards us with an icy touch, and we could see it come towards us. It's like if you blow on some ice after drinking a cold drink and you'll see the air when you do it.

There it was, the Ice Cavern.

Underneath a valley where the Mist is less lethal and does not reach any towns and villages, the Ice Cavern welcomed adventurers brave enough to walk inside with an air that get chillier and chillier the deeper you go and a view of the frozen walls of rock and of the ground. Some flowers inside were also beautifully frozen to make it look like sculptures. Some snow were even piled at some corners of the cavern, tempting me to gather it up in one hand, shape it into a sphere and start a snowball fight.

The path inside the cavern was snowy like in the weeks leading to Christmas in some countries. It was soft and easy to walk on, as if they were plowed flat for adventurers to walk on. The frozen plants look even more stunning to look at up close than at a distance. I walked up to one as the others looked around and briefly talked about the cavern and Vivi's grandfather, who told him about this place.

Poor Vivi, having to remember his late and beloved grandfather. It's painful to remember relatives that have passed on. The memories they leave you always make you want to relive every moment you had with them over and over. One of my friend's relatives passed away months ago and the only way she can comfort herself was watching old videos of them when she was a kid. She did this for a week until she was able to leave her house without crying. Just the mere mention of someone passing away just makes me remember this. Sorry…

Garnet approached one of the lovely frozen flowers and kneels beside it, saying that they look beautiful. The light coming from outside the cavern makes the flower sparkle light-blue, despite the Mist blanketing the valley, making it more appealing to look at.

"Seeing the actual cavern is so much better than reading about it!" Garnet said as she waltzed from one flower to another. "Oh how pretty… I wonder what kind of flower this is…"

Steiner came in hurriedly with a worried look. "Princess! Please, don't touch anything!" He begged.

"Judging from the captain's reaction, I'd say it's called 'stayus awayticus'. Must be a rare breed." Blake joked at the expense of the worried knight. Zidane gave out a chilled sigh as he rubbed his gloves together.

"Can we get moving? I'm freezin' here." He says.

"I'm feeling fine." Blake shrugged as he walked past the thief. "That's what happens when you wear long sleeves."

The snow inside the cave started to thin out as we went deeper, ice walls surrounded us and reflected our movements as we ventured on. Our reflections were warped into thin or large images that imitated us. I didn't even notice the walls start to move away from us, expanding into the mountain. What I noticed was that the floor and the walls started to have a gap between them.

One look at it gave me a glimpse into a small dark crevasse that probably lead underground. The temptation of dropping a pebble into it just to see how deep it is nearly got to me, but Blake calling out snapped me out of it and got me moving again. Down was the last place we wanted to go. We want to go up and out.

Steiner was talking with Vivi about what else he knew about the Ice Cavern with Garnet giving some input from her what she had studied about the Ice Cavern during her time in the castle. Blake and I didn't say much of anything regarding the topic since we didn’t know any intricate trivia about this cave that would be more helpful and less spoilerific.

"Don't wanna slip anything that could reveal about us," Blake whispered to me when I asked why he was being quiet. I nodded in agreement. If we were caught off-guard and we drop a bombshell about us by accident this early, it would ruin our chances in getting the others' trust.

When we were done whispering, I saw Zidane peeking a look over his shoulder at us, but tried to act normal. 'Just don't worry about it. He's probably getting curious about my relationship with Blake.

Since all of us were occupied with something, we hadn't noticed the floor go from snow-crunching-under-our-feet walkable to slip-and-slidey when Vivi accidentally took a tumble and slid across the platform we were on right now, knocking some of us off balance. Thankfully, there was a step in front of him and it stopped him from moving any further.

"Are you alright, Vivi?" Blake was the first to recover and went to help the black mage.

"I'm okay. Thanks." Vivi responded when he received a helping hand. I skated, or my attempt at skating, my way towards them as Zidane and Steiner helped the princess instead. I guess that's what we get from not paying attention.

From the corner of my eye I noticed movement coming from the gap between the platform and the walls. Blue hands grabbed hold of the edge and pulled itself up from what abyss it came from. When I turned to it all I could see was this thing dressed in an arctic jacket to keep itself warm from the below zero temperature in the cavern, almost looking like a Russian ensemble. It pulled a knife and a bottle of yellow liquid from its jacket and opened it mouth to reveal a wild tongue and some gaps between each tooth. Guess dental hygiene isn't guaranteed when you're below the Mist.

I pulled out my sword and held it with both hands after I stopped myself from moving. "Guys, watch out!"

"Cave Imps!" Blake cried out, pointing to the emerging enemies. Everyone pulled out their weapons except for him and readied themselves, or something close to being ready since they didn't expect to be attacked while skating. Really, it should've been a given.

Steiner tried running towards the nearest one to the princess, but didn't remember that he was standing on ice and fell down chest first. One good thing he did was take down the imp using himself as a battering ram. Zidane held his balance perfectly as he slid up next to one and slashed it as he ducked down underneath its legs them sweeping them to add damage.

Unfortunately, one of the imps managed to douse Steiner with the yellow liquid called Sleeping Potion as he was trying to get back on his feet, rendering him asleep as the name implies. I stabbed the guilty imp before he could do it to anyone else. Vivi was encouraged to use fire spells by Blake and he did, ending the battle with burnt imps that either stayed down or retreated to the gaps where they came from.

"They're gone." Zidane put his daggers back as he surveyed the area.

I looked at the Cave Imp I took down and see the killing wound I inflicted on it. I'm still not used to killing monsters even if it was just self-defense. Killing will always have to be justified with every perspective on it. Self-defense, murder, survival, justice, whatever excuse anyone uses, it's still killing. You take a life and that's it. It's nothing you can get used to.

"Steiner!" Garnet slid towards the sleeping knight and checked if he was wounded. He obviously wasn't and he's perfectly fine, but we needed him awake right now. He can't be protecting the princess if he's sleeping on the job. "He's unconscious."

"We'll just fix that right now." Zidane slid past us and gathered some snow in his gloves and shaped it up into a circle. Is he doing what I think he's doing? "Prop him up, will you?" Garnet looked hesitant for a moment, but nodded anyways. Vivi was pulling on Steiner's arm in an attempt to make him sit up before Garnet pushed on his armored back.

Blake tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at the dead Cave Imps before I could assist the other three. "Give me a hand over here."

"What do you have in mind?" I asked him as he knelt beside one Imp.

"Take their jackets. It could be useful. And hand me some of your empty potion vials." He answered. I started putting the vials beside him before I took the Imps' clothes.

I looked over my shoulder to see Zidane lightly toss a snowball up and down in his hand and looked at the captain. He wound up his arm and threw the snowball as hard as he physically could, connecting with Steiner's face with an audible 'swosh' as it splattered across his face. Steiner toppled down to the ice as he awoke, surprised of probably the cold projectile that woke him up. As entertaining it was to see Steiner struggle to understand what had just happened, we had to get moving before we freeze to death, which is another given because of the cavern's certain properties.

After Steiner had awoken, I proceeded to pull off the jackets off the Imps. Blake really thought ahead for this one. Maybe he expected some Imps to attack us in here. We could cover up some more with their clothes in an attempt to ward off the blizzard at the end of the cavern. More resistance means a bigger chance of having more party members at the boss fight.

I distributed the clothes to the others and took one jacket for me. Unfortunately for Steiner, his armor was too big for any of the jackets to fit. Instead of leaving him empty handed, I took one of the hats and placed it on his helmet. His face looked a bit dour when I did that. Sorry...

Blake was still on the floor, seated with the empty potions vials I gave him. He had some of the Sleeping Potions the Imps were using at hand and was pouring them into the vials. When he was done he disposed of the larger containers by tossing them into the crevasse near him.

"This will be useful…" He said with a grin on his face as he pocketed the vials.

With the 'ice skating' room, which I dubbed quite nicely, behind us, we moved deeper into the cavern. Steiner was still wondering what hit him on the face, making me and Zidane share a chuckle. He told him to figure it out on his own since he was able to think for himself. That silenced him for a while. I think he's actually trying to think it over. Well whatever, at least we're given some silence for our troubles.

Our party encountered some Flans that decided to enter into combat by dropping from the ceiling with a splat. Apparently, gravity didn't affect creatures that have gelatin and high amounts of sugar in their DNA. The Flans proved to be difficult to defeat with just physical attacks, which Zidane and Steiner learned. Vivi finished off our yellow and delicious gelatinous enemies before they could fire off a blizzard spell towards is with his own fire magic.

As we explored more of the Ice Cavern, we were starting to feel the bite of the ice cold breeze blowing from within, growing stronger and stronger, trying to hinder us and push us from its core. The walls were now full on ice, no more frozen flowers for decorations and were replaced by icicles hanging precariously from the ceiling pointing down at us with its sharp edge. Our path separated into other linear paths that leads to the same place save for a few that went into the walls.

Blake made an offhand comment about treasure in the cavern, making Zidane think about the possibility of finding some somewhere in here. That led to him asking Vivi for some help in melting some suspiciously frozen walls, which revealed to have some items hidden behind them after melting said wall from a burst of fire from the black mage. He found some potions, ethers, a new pair of Mage Mashers and a Leather Wrist. Now at least we have some new equipment.

Aside from the Cave Imps and the Flans, we also encountered the last kind of enemies that can be fought in here, although we did by accident. When we were walking and transitioning to another path, Vivi didn't see a billowing current coming from a small crack in the wall. When Vivi unconsciously went passed it, we started hearing the ice near the cracks breaking off bit by bit. That was when two creatures broke through, taking everyone by surprise.

The Wyerds, the distant cousins of the elephant from back home twice removed. They had light blue fur that keep them from freezing in this freezer, red eyes, a mouth with rigid teeth, four short limbs for support and two ling horns that curved upwards that proved useful for ramming enemies, which was felt by Zidane and Steiner. We heard them utter the phrase 'the wind lays out my path', creeping me out by the tone it was uttered. Garnet was almost a victim of its physical attack, but she managed to sidestep it and hit it with her rod for an opportunity to get some distance. If I remember correctly from my playthroughs, they have an ability called HP Switching that does what the name says. Fortunately, they weren't able to use it when Vivi fried them with a fire spell for each of them.

I was beginning to feel the sweat start to stick to my skin and slowly freeze against it as we progressed. Our path now was leading up to an incline, meaning we were nearing the end of the cavern. That meant good AND bad things. I was hugging myself by then. Even the jacket from the Cave Imps didn't help. I can't help but rub my hands against my arms to try to warm myself up, but that was turning up as a useless idea since the icy wind blew even harder at us.

I could see Zidane hunched over as he walked, also hugging himself. Garnet and Vivi, despite being clothed to a certain maximum plus the new jackets they had, also struggled with the temperature. Steiner himself had it worst of all. He could barely walk straight with majority of his body covered in metal and steel that was beginning to freeze and hinder his movement. Blake tried popping up his collar and put both hands, or tried to, in his pockets to avoid the chilling gust from getting underneath his clothes. Despite our efforts, we still felt the blizzard starting to do us in.

Then we got to the fork in the road. One path looked somewhat ordinary while the other had a bellowing gust coming from it. I looked to the left path and I remember that there was a frozen moogle there in the game. Should I make my way over there and check? Would anyone even want to go over there? Is there going to be an actual moogle in there if I go look for it?

Hmmm...might as well. What could possibly go wrong?

"Hey guys, we should check this path first." I told the others as I pointed to the left path. Blake apparently didn't like the suggestion as he knitted his eyebrows together. He probably wanted to get the boss fight over and done with already.

"And why should we?" Steiner shared his sentiment for the wrong reason. "That path might lead deeper into the cavern or a dead end."

"Maybe the wind would let up in here. It doesn't look like its going this way. And if it is a dead end then we could take a break." I said. I looked over to Blake and he somewhat gave up in rushing to the correct path as he walked over to me.

"Yes, a break would do us wonders right about now." Garnet said, hugging the jacket closer to her figure.

"There might also be a possibility of more treasure if we go here." Blake added. Zidane's eyebrows went up and he chuckled.

"The let's check it out then." He said, leading the way faster than we could walk. We were following his lead when we heard his voice echo from where we were. "WHOA!"

We all were met with the sight of a frozen garden of various fauna past a similarly frozen arch. I would appreciate the room normally, but my attention was focused on the sight at the end of the small room. On what seemed like a pedestal stood two figures encased in a ball of ice.

"What's that!?" Vivi wondered out loud when he saw the duo in ice. Pale skin, violet wings, and what looked like a red ball attached on an atenna on their heads were the primary apperance of these creatures called Moogles.

Wait...why are there two Moogles frozen in here? Even Zidane looked like he was curious about it.

We all took turns looking at it. From the looks of it, the moogles didn't expect turning out like this from the panicked look on their faces. Vivi immediately started melting the two from their cold prison. When the ice was gone, the two moogles jumped and started yelling.

"HOT! HOT! HOT! You bastards!" They both shouted. I could see Blake cover the ears of Vivi, as if expecting them to swear the moment they were freed. When the realization hit them, the confrontational atmosphere turned positive.

"Oh, we can move again!" One of the moogles exclaimed.

"Thank you, kupo!" Oh there's their catch phrase. And it sounds cute in person!

"I'm Monty. That's Mois over there. We would like to give you this for freeing us, kupo!" The moogle named Monty started digging into the small satchel he was carrying. "Here's some hi-potions and this flute! I'm not much of a musician, but that flute sounds great in the hands of great musician!"

Vivi received the gifts since he was the one responsible for setting them free. "T-Thanks!"

"Anytime."

Mois, who sat on the pedestal looking at us, pointed to the other moogle. "Don't you have somewhere else you need to be, kupo?"

It took him a full second for that register. He suddenly jumped and ran around the room. "Oh no! I have to go! Letters don't deliver themselves, kupo!"

And with that, Monty ran out of the room much to our dismay. I wanted to say he was going to be okay, but right now I'm not very sure. If he is the same moogle who was supposed to give us that flute when we came out of Evil Forest then why was he frozen here? That's a change we had no direct influence on. Blake even looked a bit shocked when he saw the flute. This could probably mean bad news for us.

With moogle shenanigans out of the way and a few minutes of rest done, we were on our way once again.

We struggled in our movements as we went to the path leading to the right. Zidane was up front with me, Steiner, Garnet, Blake and Vivi in respective order behind him. Thank goodness no monster had the bright idea of attacking us while we were like this. At least they have the courtesy to leave us alone in a time like this. Zidane stopped and looked back at us.

"Vivi, hurry up, or you'll get left behind!" He shouted over to the black mage. We all turned and saw Vivi barely able to make it to us. The poor guy, barely old enough to be even allowed out and now he was going to freeze.

"I…I'm coming." Vivi tried his hardest to get over to us, but he instead went into the other direction, the direction that ends like a cliff and plummets down a good three or four feet. Garnet said something that was lost against the wind, but her voice made everyone else turn around and we saw what happened.

Vivi didn't see it coming. He also didn't see the last step he made before dropping off from our point of view.

"Master Vivi!" Steiner called out with a chill in his voice. "Are you okay?" Vivi didn't respond. Steiner approached the edge of the cliff where Vivi fell off to see how was the young mage, but when you move like you're made of metal that is bound to mess you up. As the knight peeked over the edge, the weight of his armor made him shift his balance accidentally. Thankfully he managed to keep still and save himself.

For that time only. When he turned around, his foot slipped and he, too, took a plunge down right beside Vivi. Fortunately, no black mages were harmed in that fall.

"Yo, Rusty!" Zidane now attempted to look at the damage down below. He's careful enough not to go even close to the edge. "You're…not alright, are you?"

"What…makes you t-t-think of that, genius?" Blake sarcastically said to him as he popped the jacket collar up his neck. I guess he's wishing that he had gloves right now. His hands are the only thing, aside from his face, that wasn't covered with clothing.

Wondering what happened to the first two victims of the blizzard, Zidane jumped down to where the two were and checked up on them. They were unconscious, that we can tell. "Hey Rusty! Move it or lose it!" He kicked the armor of the captain, trying to wake him up, only to get no response.

"Get up!" He tried again, only this time harder. He hurt his foot in the process. When Steiner didn't react, Zidane gave up. "It's no use…"

As the three of us looked at Zidane's attempts, the blizzard blew stronger against us. That was when Princess Garnet dropped to her knees and fell down on the snow. "Garnet!" I shouted as I ran to the princess's side. She's out. There was obviously nothing I could do. Nothing Blake and I could do. Even with the extra layer of clothing, it didn't prevent or slow down the blizzard's effects.

"Oh no! Garnet! Not you, too?" Zidane hobbled over to us as he looked over the royal princess.

Behind him, Blake wordlessly and suddenly falls over on his side like a tree timbering down after being sawed by lumberjacks. And nobody said timber. I went to him and saw that blank, yet asleep, expression on his face. Even when he tried to prepare for this part, he still can't outlast the blizzard.

"They're knocked out cold..." I said to Zidane. I feel my eyelids starting to droop down, making me blink and try to stay awake. Zidane was trying to do the same, but the wind blew against his back like a mother would pat the back of her baby to lull it to sleep.

"Shoot…I'm falling asleep…" He yawned one last time before I saw him flop down to the snow.

"…Me…too." I forced my eyes to open, but every single time the blizzard coming from the chamber ahead of us would blow on my eyes to make it close. I was powerless and it was only a matter of time before I succumb to its effects. With one last gasp, I tried making my way to the chamber up ahead.

_Fall before the blizzard…_

The chilling wind blew once more, sending me into the air and making me land on my back. That was it. I felt tired and sleepy…There's nothing else I can do…

-FF FF FF-

A soft chime echoes in my mind. The sound makes my eyes blink open. All I could see before me was the snow on the ground and the ice on the walls and ceiling around me. I just realized that I was laying down face first on the ground. There's probably a good chance that a little bit of snow went into my mouth as I fell asleep. Now I'm worried if I'm going to freeze from the inside.

The white wind howled furiously as I heard something else aside from the chime. Footsteps. I was hearing footsteps.

I moved my head and looked towards the direction it was coming from. I could see gray boots walking, or trying to walk, away from us. A yellow tail was hanging down with a slight curve towards the end was swinging to the left and to the right with each step despite it looking like it had been in a freezer.

Zidane. Zidane's awake. And he's moving on to face the first Black Waltz, the cause of this horrible snow storm. I gingerly moved onto my arms and knees as I looked around me. Garnet and Blake lay unmoving from where they were before I was forced to sleep. I couldn't see Vivi and Steiner, but I'm sure they were still out cold. I crawled over to Blake, hoping that I could wake him up.

"…Blake…Blake…" I shook his body with both my hands, even dared to slap his face twice. He didn't react. He remained blank faced and still resided in dreamland. "…Blake!" I shook him even harder when I took hold of the collar of his jacket. Again, no response.

He's not waking up anytime soon. I released my hold on his jacket and let him fall back on the soft snow. Zidane's going to have back-up, one way or another. I crawled towards the direction Zidane went and slowly got up to my feet.

Before I could even take a step, my chest abruptly felt like it was going to cave in on itself. The pressure made me gasp for air, which was not reaching my lungs, as I went down to my knees. I continued struggling with my breathing that, from another perspective, I may be making a crazy snow angel. It was disorienting me. I thought my chest was going to burst from the pressure, but after a long minute, the pain eventually receded. When my condition went back to normal, my mind was so busy wondering what the hell had just happened that I forgot that I was down on the snow.

"Wh-wh-what was t-that…?" I picked myself up as I tried to think of what had just happened. Was I having a heart attack or something? Did my lungs freeze? I wasn't able to guess on some sort of reason for it to happen to me, but I think it's something I need to be careful about. Right now I need to worry about the thing causing this terrible blizzard and possibly that episode a while ago.

As I went on, I noticed that the snow storm somewhat weakened compared to how hard it was trying to blow us away earlier. I could feel my body getting somewhat warmer and my limbs getting limber even with the coldness around me. At least that's an improvement. Then I heard a roar so loud the icicles from the ceiling of the cavern almost give out. I rushed on ahead with a hand on the hilt of my sword, ready to help take down the Black Waltz.

"Zidane, a-are you here!? Zi– holy…..."

I looked up and saw the giant beast standing right in front of me. Standing on its tail at thrice the size of an average basketball player with blue frozen scales as skin, two wing-like limbs that flicker with movement as it hovered at its side, a gray face that looked like a mask, and icicles growing out of its back, the Sealion look too intimidating in real life than its videogame version. My eyes were as wide as snowballs when I saw it move towards me, making me draw my sword and point it at the monster in self-defense.

"Alyssa? What are you doing here?" I looked to the side and saw Zidane with his back against the ice, breathing rather hard than usual. Before I could answer him, I was cut off by something else.

"Another one!?" A voice coming from beside the Sealion spoke.

The figure was hunched up like a question mark, dressed in a brown oversized shirt to cover its also oversized upper body with arms so long that it reached the ground with tarnished white pants for its smaller lower body. It had a straw pointy hat like Vivi's that covered its face with a shadow that only revealed yellow orbs. There was also a pair of blue wings on its back, but the condition of the wings plus the size of the figure made it impossible for the wings to work.

Black Waltz No. 1. The first of three powerful manufactured mages that only exist to bring back Princess Garnet to Alexandria, orders directly from the queen of the kingdom. It was the source of the extreme blizzard we've encountered in the cavern, probably trying to kill us off one by one as subtly as possible. Who would question the fact that some crazy adventurers went in the Ice Cavern unprepared and died due to a blizzard? That happens most of the time in a place called Ice Cavern.

The hunchback mage pointed at me with the hand that held on to a small circular bell. "Why are you still alive!?"

"I don't know." I honestly answered as I tossed the tent bag hanging from my shoulder to the side. "But if you-you're the one causing that blizzard, trying to k-kill my friends, you're about to be in a world of hurt!"

The first Black Waltz sneered at my words and chimed his little bell. "Your words won't live up against us."

"Oh yeah? Says who?" I responded to his threat almost instantly. That was before I remembered the giant ice monster in front of me. It roared shockingly loud, making me drop my sword and cover my ears at the volume of the beast's intimidation tactic.

Okay, the thing has a say in this.

I picked up my sword and held it, ready to fight. "Well, I don't care whatever that thing said! You're going down!" I ran towards the Black Waltz with a mindset of immediately taking him down, but the Sealion slithered into my path and took out my legs from under me with its tail. It was about to flatten me with the same thing, only for it to miss when I rolled out of the way, giving me an opportunity to get in close to the mage. I was about to take a swing at it when a large wing swept me away from the winged magician.

"Ah!" I screamed as I flew into the air and landed on the soft snow. Thankfully the snow was here to cushion my fall. I picked up my sword and immediately charged in again.

The Sealion slid towards me and attempted to wing me into the air again, but I dodged it and slashed at the limb three times as it roars in pain. The Black Waltz audibly chuckled at my current plan as he blew a blizzard towards my direction, freezing me in my tracks and momentarily placed me in a block of ice. Vivi could've been useful here. His fire magic would've helped solve this gigantic ice problem in no time. Stopped and turned into ice, I struggled in my attempts to move, only to be freed when the Sealion used its tail to send me flying towards the entrance of the chamber.

Ouch! I felt cold and sore at the same time. This is going to be harder than I thought.

The first Black Waltz cackled at me as it casted a blizzard on its 'pet', healing the wounds I inflicted on it. I forgot about that. Crap. If Blake was here he'll be pointing it out like it was the most obvious thing known to man, or to him anyway. He'll also be telling us not to charge in recklessly like I just did. I think that last one made his absence a bit tolerable.

With the wind knocked out of me, I try to stand with the help of my sword as I tried to think of a way to get past the Sealion and drive my blade into the Black Waltz. The only problem with that is the huge ice creature standing in the way. The Sealion is large enough to cover any direct way towards it and just jumping past it or getting under it would be pretty hazardous. I look over to Zidane, who just downed a high potion he fished out of the bag. He looked a lot better compared to how he was before I started fighting these two.

"We need a plan." I said to him as he readied himself beside me.

"Isn't that what the other guy was for?" Zidane wondered out loud.

"He's out of it right now, so we'll just have to rely on ourselves right now." I told him. "I have an idea— move!" I dragged the thief away from where we were standing when I started feeling a chill creeping up on me. I looked back at the spot and saw the air become ice. That sneaky mage... It almost turned us into ice cubes.

"About that idea…" Zidane spoke up, making me stop glaring at the Black Waltz and focusing on the plan. I should carefully word it out. I came in here after the Sealion was summoned and even Zidane knows at this point that the thing behind it is called a Black Waltz. Here goes…

"Right. It looks like that thing isn't letting us anywhere near the mage, but we can't make a scratch on the thing if Mr. Pointy Hat over there keeps undoing any damage we put on it. We need to take him out first." I pointed to the two respectively as I referred to what we needed to do.

"And how do you want to do that? We can barely get near it without being thrown all over the place, and we—look out!" He cried out as he pushed me away while he jumped back. The Sealion almost landed its tail on us. Thanks Zidane! When we got enough distance between the two enemies, we continued our talk. "We also have to worry about the mage trying to freeze us."

I looked over to the Sealion, which was slithering towards us with intent to destroy, and the Black Waltz, who chimed its bell once again. Past the two was a frozen waterfall with a giant hole in the middle of a frozen stream, and seeing it just made an idea pop into my head. Apparently, Zidane also had the same idea.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" He asked as he readied his daggers.

I nodded as I held my sword. "Definitely."

Both of us ran towards the Sealion as it roared and readied a combination of blizzard spells with the Black Waltz. We jumped and rolled away from the blast of ice and successfully got past the Sealion while inflicting some scratches on its body with our weapons. It immediately turned around and went after us in a hurry. The Black Waltz was yelling out orders to its pet as we neared it. We sailed past him and wounded him a little as the Sealion slithered in our direction. Great, we still have his attention. This is going to work.

Zidane and I got on the ice and spun around to face the ice monster. Zidane went on ahead and took the monster's attention with him as I skated around them with my sword pointed down. When I was sure that it wasn't looking for me, I started lowering the tip of my sword on the ice and began tracing a line on it. The ice looked thin enough to crack with just a powerful enough stab. Plus, the Sealion was beating the floor was no one's business. It'd give out eventually anyways.

The blond thief jumped on the creature and stabbed his daggers into its body, getting a wounded snarl from it as it tried to shake him off. He withdrew his weapons and went up to the glowing jewel on its chest, using his daggers as tools for climbing. The Sealion tried to get him off of him by thrashing around and shaking itself continuously. Despite its attempts, Zidane managed to hold on until I made a full circle trace around the monster. It's a miracle that I was still alive while that happened. I almost got nailed by the Sealion's wild tail when I accidentally slipped on my face. Thank goodness for luck.

"It is no use fighting…" We heard the Black Waltz coldly taunt us as it healed its pet with blizzard spells.

"We'll see about that. Alyssa, switch!" He jumped off the Sealion's chest with his daggers in hand with a backflip. I immediately took a breath in and hoped for the best as I jumped on the Sealion's body. I was in for the ride of my life.

I dug my sword in deep in the Sealion's torso and felt the wind around me starting to send shivers down my spine. It was getting cold, VERY cold. The Sealion abandoned the thrashing idea it had earlier with Zidane and instead tried to focus on freezing me to death and winging the thief down below. I wanted to shout out to Zidane as the creature swung its wings at him, but he masterfully dodged every move with cartwheels, flips and slides while he was stabbing the outlines I did with his daggers.

What's the plan, you may ask? You've probably figured it out by now, but let me reveal what we were trying to do anyway. I outlined the area in the ice with my sword to mark how big the Sealion was taking up space. When I'm done with that, Zidane and I switch places and he tries to dislodge the ice by impaling the outline. Hopefully, that will make the ice drop and send the Sealion down to the depths and give us enough time to take care of the Black Waltz before it comes back.

It's been going great with Zidane effectively evading the monster's physical attacks while I moved from the front torso to the back with the stalagmites showing. I climbed upwards to the back of its neck, ducking under an attempted swipe with its wing. Just hang on a little bit more then we'll be alright. Zidane was almost done with his part when he looked up and had a surprised look on his face. He pointed to the chest of the Sealion and shouted, but his voice was drowned out a sound of waves crashing…

Wait, waves crashing!?

Before I could even react, a tidal wave of extremely cold water (that could've been below -10 degrees) landed on me and washed me away from the Sealion. When the wave died down, I realized that I had my back on the ice, coughing out the water that got in my mouth and probably in my lungs. Zidane was doing the same somewhere to my left.

Not only was that the problem, but we were in serious need of heat. Our clothes were wet, we were shivering uncontrollably and our weapons were out of reach. Damn it, we were so close! How did I forget about the Sealion's other attack that included water? Whatever I had planned was a big bunch of nothing, and that tsunami attack was a bucket of cold water to wake me up. Damn it!

"All your effort was worthless." The first Black Waltz stated as his bell sounded off victoriously. "Now you will suffer a cold defeat."

"N-N-N-Not by a lo-lo-long shot…" I tried shouting out at it, only for it to come out as a whimper. The manufactured mage leered at me with its yellow eyes and proceeded to kick me in the gut.

"Alyssa!" Zidane called out as I coughed out more water from the kick I received. That knocked the wind out of me! Good grief, I'm shivering and getting a beating from something that barely looked like it was able to deliver any physical damage if it tried.

I looked around the floor of ice and saw one of Zidane's daggers near to my side. I coughed out once again, this time faking it as I tried to slide over to the side. The Black Waltz lifted its bell once again, focusing its magic into one more attack to bring down its opposition.

"Any last words before I turn you into a glacier?"

"Y-Y-Yeah. C-Catch!" I quickly dived for the dagger, got on my back and threw the short weapon towards the mage. It froze up mid-cast as the dagger luckily dug itself into its shoulder. The Black Waltz let out a cry of anguish as I scrambled away from where I was as the Sealion looked to avenge its master by winging me. But that was part of my impromptu plan. I was the distraction.

With the monster's attention focused on me, Zidane was able to pull himself up and lunge at the mage trying to remove the dagger. He pulled it out forcibly and stabbed the Black Waltz dead center in the chest. Its eyes widened like light bulbs as it looked down at the stab wound and back at Zidane. The thief put his foot on its chest and pulled it out with a backflip, making the winged monstrosity collapse on its knees. It looked over to the Sealion that was frozen in its place and demanded one last command.

"…Sealion, kill them…for me!" Afterwards, it fell over on its side, now officially dead.

The Sealion roared at the sight of its fallen master before turning to the one person who dealt the killing blow. The jewel on its chest changed to red and it started flapping its wings. I could hear he water beneath us shake at the will of the monster and I know that one hit from another tsunami would spell game over for both me and Zidane. I desperately slid over to my sword and skated to the front of the beast and stabbed it right below the torso.

Its attention shifted to me and the jewel glowed yellow this time. I wasn't able to react when all of a sudden ice came from the ground and froze my entire body. Even the scream that was coming up from my throat froze in between delivery. Despite that, I could still see what was happening in front of me in a warped visual sense due to the ice in front of my eyes.

Zidane cried something out, which I wasn't able to hear, before he lunged at the Sealion. It barely hit Zidane with a wing attack, but it did knock the frozen sword out of my hand. I seriously thought my hand was gonna come off with it too, and thankfully that didn't happen. Zidane cut at the Sealion's lower body as the jewel changed to blue. As it was either casting a blilzzard spell or trying to swat Zidane with one of its wings, the yellow tailed man took hold of the wings and jumped off to its face, successfully preventing a blizzard spell from coming.

He took one of his daggers and drove it into where one of its eye sockets should be. The Sealion flailed around in pain and howled, forcing Zidane to hold on tightly to his implanted weapon of choice. Through all of this, the injured ice monster accidentally struck me with its tail, freeing me from my icy prison and sending me flying into an icy wall.

Agh…That smarts! I lay there, tired and nearing unconsciousness, so I decided to just stay where I was. I did everything I can possibly do.

Zidane was about to set up for the finale as he slowly let his grip slip from the dagger. When he felt that he was comfortable, he dropped down and took hold of the edge of its gray mask-like headgear. He started swinging back and forth towards the chest area with one dagger in hand. The jewel changed to red once again, the Sealion readying once again to perform its tsunami attack, but Zidane would deny it the opportunity to do so as he swung and let go of the headgear and veered straight for the jewel. With a thrust of a hand, he stabbed the jewel dead center, making an audible crack even from where I was.

The scene stayed still for about a minute for me. The Sealion's wings frozen in mid-swipe, the water that rose from the hole the monster created slowly descended back down, Zidane's tail slightly twitched, and a distorted bellow from the giant ice monster turned to a small choking sound. Then everything went back to normal speed; Zidane pushing off from the Sealion as it plunged down to the ground limply and broke the ice as soon as it landed, taking its dead master with him to the depths underneath..

Was it dead? Is it over? Did we win?

I waited silently for something, anything, to answer my question. Zidane knelt before the hole in the ice, breathing slowly with his head down. About a minute passed before he moved. I just noticed that he didn't have his daggers with him. He must've forgotten to pull them out of the monster before it drowned in its own element. He stood up and limped over to me.

"You o-okay?" He asked, extending a shivering hand to me.

"I-I should be a-a-asking you th-that." I replied when I accepted his help. He pulled me up and let me lean against the wall. He walked over to the bag that was forgotten throughout the fight and tried taking out a few items from in it. Two vials of potions, one for each of us. "Thanks," I said as I took one and downed it.

When I felt the potion do its magic, my body wasn't so sore anymore, but I was still cold. I managed to jump up and down to test if I still felt physically terrible. "We won." I managed to say as I looked over to the remains of the battleground we just took place in. I noted that the extremely ice cold wind no longer blew, but a normal breeze that didn't want to kill you. Zidane must've noticed too since he nodded to the tunnel that led back to where the others were.

"Yeah, we did." He simply sighed. Fatigue was sure to set in for him, that's for sure. "C'mon, we need to see if the others are okay." I passed him a smile and walked back to where the others were.

He's gonna hear voices soon, voices that'll warn him about the second and third Black Waltz. He doesn't need me to know about it, but I do. Right now, I just want to check if everyone is alright and safe, not human popsicles.


	12. Thinking Mindset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Blake has a few things in his mind.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 11: Thinking Mindset

  
\- Blake -

_I could hear a deafening noise. A ringing bell._

_A roaring crowd. A battalion of feet pounding against the ground._

_It's all familiar..._

_Even behind closed eyes, a bunch of random flashing lights made me flinch, making me open them._

_It took a while for my eyes to focus and it finally dawned on me that the familiar feeling was there for a reason. The flashing lights were a combination of cameras and spotlights from the rafters. The noise was from the hundreds of people sitting behind me along with the separate crowd across the room. At the center were two teams fighting for possession of a single orange ball, all of them dressed in two distinct colors of blue and red._

_This is a basketball game. What am I doing in a basketball game?_

_My eyes blinked furiously, trying to discern if this is actually real or not. I pinched my arm and slapped both my cheeks. All of the pinches and slaps hurt but it seemed like a stable reality. Even the fabric of the blue outfit I am wearing was somewhat similar to the jerseys of the players, the towel on my knee or the sweat gathering above my brow felt real. Even the surreal feeling of of having a crowd chant 'defense' behind me was off-putting. But the energy they put in their shouts as well as their claps felt real._

_Then if it's all real then why does it feel wrong?_

_Just as I came to that thought a buzzer rang throughout the court. The action stopped temporarily. Each team's players started going back to their respective sides of the court. Time to talk strategy with the coaches on how to improve their chances of winning. I had to look up to the digital scoreboard on the wall to check if we were winning or not._

_"Skylark! Get your ass over here and help refresh these guys!" I hear the coach of our team shout over the crowd's chanting and the music playing in the background. Even with all of those noises mixed in together, his voice made me flinch the moment I heard it._

_"...Uh, sure." What a lame reply. Someone bounded over to me and clapped me on the shoulder. He grinned at me, nodding over to the blue cooler beside the bench. I shrugged off the hand and only realized it was my friend, Andrew, when he made a face of mock disappointment. Wait...what was he doing here?_

_"C'mon, Blake. Get some of the Gatorades in there. Don't want to disappoint me after going through all that hard work getting you this little job."_

_"Sure, Andrew." I said._

_Both of us started handing out bottles of Gatorade to the team, the players thanking us before setting their focus back to the coach and their next strategy. One of them looked very familiar, especially when I felt his large hands pat me on the shoulder. I shrugged off that thought and kept doing what I had to do. With our part of the timeout finally done, though I still felt off about everything, Andrew pulled me back to our bench. A few seconds later the buzzer blared and the game continued. I couldn't keep my attention on the match in front of my. My eyes felt like they were going in and out of focus and any attempt to blink them back to normal would only be a temporary fix. I wish someone had some eye drops._

_Suddenly things got a bit antsy. The players were too tense around each other. One of our players as glaring a hole at one of the bigger center guys on the other team. The problem was that this guy towered over him. And I wanted to say he was on something, but I can't prove that. Innocent until proven guilty, you know? I think I missed something like time had fast forwarded to a specific event. Even the audience was starting to get riled up. They've started to divide to two sides, booing the other team instead of cheering for cool shots and wonderful offense._

_Then like montage started to happen. Our guy started fouling the other team's main player. A minute later, he retaliated. It seemed subtle without fault at first, but it escalated into tripping. And then THAT escalated to pushing. They were THIS close to just going to a bare-knuckled brawl when our guy got plowed through by their titan of a center. Our guy would've let it go, but when he heard him talk shit when he saw down. Plus, the referee didn't call the foul._

_I felt chills run down my spine. My left hand rubbed my right arm, as if trying to comfort myself. When I felt the skin on skin contact of my palm on my forearm, I figured out what that feeling I had earlier was all about._

_I didn't have a cast on my right arm... I'm not crippled. Not yet…_

_The moment this sunk in, things started going crazy. Our player had an argument with the ref for a minute, which lead to him marching up to Titan by the benches and shoved him. Both teams struggled to separate the two to the point that some of the concerned members of the crowd began to help. I found myself blinking blankly when my body automatically ran to my team's aid beside Andrew. The more hostile portion of the audience threw food and cups of bear at our team. I've felt more alcohol hit me than my sister had even drank in her entire life._

_Of course, this lead to the game being cancelled. With the hostile crowd and the extremely tense atmosphere, things inevitable had to escalate. And things certainly came to a head. One massive brawl started from the top of the bleachers that rolled down to the court, engulfing both teams in the chaos. Men, women, children, coaches, and basketball players were scattered all over the place. Some had the bright idea of just fleeing the gym while security tried to get the place on lockdown. Unfortunately, there were too many angry fans and players for them to compete against, rendering them almost useless as their forces could barely maintain any shred of decorum._

_I found myself sprawled over our cooler, my attire wet from the spilled water and ice from the container. I shivered as I tried to get up. My eyes instantly went over to the exit. Shit had gone down and the last thing I wanted was to be at the center of it when the cops arrive._

_"Little water boy...Should've run away when you got the chance." I heard this deep, growling threat despite the panicked screaming in the air. At the center of the court was the Titan of the other team, looking more and more like a Monstar from Space Jam as he loomed over Andrew. My friend was visibly frightened at the sight of the basketball player, trying to crawl back with every step the player took._

_"Run, Andrew!" I shouted over to him. That snapped him out of his panic, scrambling off the floor with the nearest exit as his destination._

_But the Titan was faster than he looked, snatching Andrew from the ground and held him up by his jersey. He shook my friend as if he was a lifeless doll, existing only for his amusement alone. My concern for Andrew's condition made every bit of common sense leave me as I grabbed the nearest object I could get in my hand._

_"Leave him alone, you oversized, steroid-junkie freak!" I yelled. It wasn't my voice that got his attention. It was the half-empty bottle of Gatorade that impacted against the side of his skull. His head craned over to look at me, his eyebrows flaring madly, his mouth twisted in an angry sneer._

_"What did you say?" He said, his deep voice carrying across the gym. Police sirens could be heard outside. Even then I didn't expect them to save me from what I'm about to do._

_I threw another bottle, this time filled to the brim and its cap tightly covered. I hit him square in the face. My next move was to not wait for a reply and just run up to him equipped with a basketball and a full bottle of my team's chosen refreshment. He tried to use Andrew's body as a bat, swinging sideways at me, but I was already inside his personal space before Andrew could hit me. I hopped and dropkicked him in the balls as retaliation for the abuse he's put on my friend._

_I felt my feet collide with two objects that might as well be two small animals because they were roadkill by the time he was howling in pain. Andrew fell to the ground, an immediate groan coming out of him when he landed alongside the giant basketball player, who fell on his knees with both hands around his junk probably thinking he picked on the wrong water boy on the wrong day. I threw the basketball on his face just to further emphasize my point._

_"C'mon, just fucking get up!" I was desperately trying to drag Andrew to his feet, an intense feeling gripping me in my gut with every second he struggled to get to a vertical base. "We have to get out of here now!"_

_"Thanks for saving me, man." Andrew said, relieved that he was free._

_That intense feeling made me panic. It was very strange. Everything felt so misty and unreal despite the very real weight of my best friend leaning against me. The closer we got to the door, the colder things seem to be for some reason, like a chill blowing against my neck, despite my forehead and back covered in sweat. I had to make sure Andrew wasn't putting his face against my neck, only to see him looking blankly ahead._

_Then I felt something grab my foot before I could assure Andrew that things are going to be okay. I stumbled, accidentally sending both of us to the ground. I looked over my shoulder and see a hand larger than my own leg hold on to my ankle. A terrified yelp slipped out of me when he pulled me towards him._

_"You're gonna pay for that!" He growled at my face after he lifted me off the ground by my shirt. The two knees he applied to my gut and an elbow to my back made sure that he didn't appreciate rescuing my friend earlier. Then he simply threw me over his head like yesterday's trash._

_I easily sailed through the air and landed a few feet behind him with a horrid crack punctuating my landing. My wailing voice could have filled the entire gymnasium, but the air was filled with a tense and profound silence despite my crying. I didn't even notice it then that the noise surrounding us started to wane down until silence enveloped the entire area. Tears flowed from my eyes in reaction to the pain my body felt. I tried to blink them out, to clear my sight and in between the blinks I could see a portion of the court._

_Instead of the chaos stemming from angry fans and athletes, I could see everyone frozen in place just standing there not doing anything anymore. Each blink of an eye made them move. Some of them used to be facing each other just a moment from hitting each other, only to drop that and stand there looking lifeless. Even the ginormous basketball player stood over me with this dead expression on his face. A few more feet past him had Andrew sharing the same look. I couldn't make sense of it all as the pain was starting to be too much combined with the entire place starting to feel like a freezer._

_Just before my eyes started to drop, my tear ducts having enough of it all and exhausting their reserves, I could see an unfamiliar person starting to walk over to me. A brown cloak followed their every movement, worn out boots soundlessly padded towards where I lied on the floor. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I could see this person take a knee in front of me and put a hand on my arm, a lucid yet comforting touch. A soft voice spoke just moments before my eyes fully closed:_

_"Change your fate."_

\- Blake -

I sat up and pulled my face out of the snow faster than a blizzard could knock me out. My sudden movement surprised someone around me, but I wasn't able to take note on who it was. I found myself crawling over to the nearest wall in a panic. I clutched my right arm immediately when my back hit the frozen wall. It's alright and not broken, meaning everything's fine. The sight of the protective cement plaster around my forearm never looked so comforting in my life, assuring me that this is the right reality.

"Blake? Blake, are you alright?" A hand squeezed my shoulder, instantly making me look up. It was Alyssa. Her presence, once again, though I'm never going to admit this to anyone ever, was something I would never have thought to put me at ease.

"I-I-I…" I stammered, trying to get my brain working again by looking around. I remember now. Black Waltz No. 1 assaulted us with a blizzard and knocked us out. Zidane must have fought and killed him, taking the icy spell he put in the cavern with him. I swallowed the lump gathering in my throat and finally answered the concerned girl. "I think I'm fine."

"Thank goodness." She caught me off-guard when wrapped her arms around me. I felt colder the moment her body touched mine. Why is she so freaking cold!?

"The Sealion nearly drowned me," she answered, her voice slightly muffled by my shoulder.

What was that supposed to mean? Didn't the blizzard knock her out? Did the Sealion's attacks with the water get into this portion of the cavern?

"No. I helped Zidane beat it and the Black Waltz." Alyssa pulled back, slightly shivering at the loss of the assisted body heat.

I stared at her as she stood. "What—How—Wha—Why?" I guess the blizzard did a number on me if I couldn't say anything properly. The girl noticed my confusion and offered an answer as well as a hand.

"I dunno." She shrugged her shoulders. I noticed that the material of her clothes had stuck against her shoulder blades, causing me to look past her just in case my eyes wandered anywhere. "I just woke up to the sound of a bell, you know like how Zidane does in the game. So I stumbled into the middle of Zidane's fight. The Black Waltz was probably too distracted with him that the spell lost power."

A likely explanation! Not that I can poke holes in her answer as if it was a testimony in court. Not that I have the license to do so. There just wasn't enough proof in this cavern or in the world to provide any concrete explanation to it so I'm forced to take her word for it.

Zidane had just finished climbing up from where Vivi and Steiner fell. He probably went and woke them up before going to where Garnet was recovering from her forced sleep. And of course, the knight and thief were arguing with each other about what had just happened and what form of indecency Zidane committed while we were all unconscious. Alyssa had to defend our blonde protagonist from any blame since she was with him during that time.

While they were trying to resolve their little conflict I was still at a loss as to what happened to me. The blizzard knocked me out like everyone else when I hoped I would be able to help Zidane and Alyssa with the fight, providing some strategy or a distraction here and there. Even getting the extra layer of clothing on us didn't matter since it still knocked everyone out with the sole exception of Alyssa. The reasoning behind that is still a mystery. Not being able to assist Zidane is definitely disappointing.

But that dream… Can I even call it a dream? It was the basketball game where I broke my hand. Why did I even dream about it while under the influence of the blizzard? Did it have some sort of weird specific effect that I didn't know? I mean its magic! I know blizzards have the tendency to debilitate most people, but 'magic blizzards' might have different effects. And I'm wondering all about this even though I'm not an expert on it.

"So do you think you're still fine?" Alyssa had just walked back to me after defending Zidane's honor. A raised eyebrow prompted her to continue talking. "When I was checking on everyone after the fight, something weird was happening to you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Everyone else was sleeping peacefully, but you were all fidgety and twitching." She explained, leaning in closer to me. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You were even groaning in pain. I thought the Black Waltz had done something to you and I tried to wake you up. Your breathing even picked up like you were having a panic attack! And then you woke up."

I had a panic attack mid-sleep? I'm pretty sure that all of my check-ups with my doctor were all in the positives and that any change would have them notify me of it. And I'm sure I'm a sound sleeper. I'm perfectly healthy, which means she must have been seeing things! On the other hand, I did have a weird dream. That could have made my brain go haywire and react wildly. Maybe I should go see a doctor…

"Were you having a bad dream?" Alyssa wondered.

I felt my eyebrow twitch. Hopefully, she didn't see it. "No. It was a dreamless sleep." I lied.

"You know you can just tell me the truth, right?" She looked at me and analyzed my face as if she was trying to determine if what I just said was untrue. I kept a straight face and just glared at her. "You can trust me."

"I don't want to talk about it," My lips couldn't help but mumble out. I had to turn around to avoid her intrusive gaze.

"So you did have a dream."

"Look, it's nothing to worry about. Let's just focus on getting out of this place and to the next town." I told her, shaking my head as the thought of the dream started crawling up into my brain. I felt her cold hand rest on my shoulder and squeeze it slightly.

"I'll be here if you need to get it off your chest, okay?" She said in an attempt to comfort me.

"I'll keep that in mind," I rolled my eyes, though it was just something I had to say to get her off my back. I could see the rest of our crew start to move towards us; Garnet and Vivi calmly leading a bickering Steiner and Zidane. Their arguing is adding to the headache that dream gave me. Please make them stop…

"Is everything in order?" Garnet asked the two of us. I looked over to Alyssa and saw her checking the tent bag we were carrying if our supplies would last us until the next town. "If any of you still feel the need to rest we can stop here for a minute or two."

"The blizzard may have stopped for some reason, but that does not mean the monsters within the cavern will not attack us." Steiner interjected.

"Well, I'm feeling pretty good. Everyone looks like they're doing well." I directed a smile at the inquiring princess before pointing a thumb over to the girl behind me. "Alyssa seems to want to get away from this nasty cold cavern as soon as possible. Let's take our leave then."

Garnet and Zidane nodded, turning around and leading the group to the exit above the next part of the cave. I followed them, Alyssa keeping pace with me, all the while trying to remove this blasted jacket off of me. Some big help another layer gave me for that damned blizzard. When I did manage to get it off, I handed it over to Alyssa.

"Here. Dali might have some clothes up for sale, but this might do for now."

"Thanks." She accepted the jacket, probably feeling glad to finally have something not drenched covering her, and swiftly put it on. I made a mistake of waiting for her as she made a glance at me once she was done. Why was it a mistake? Well, for one, I didn't like that smile she had on her face as she tried to walk past me. Then I noticed her giving me a weird look. "Are you blushing?"

That was one hell of an accusation and it came out of nowhere!

"Wh-Wh-What's that supposed to mean!?" My sudden outburst caught the attention of the group. "Look I'm just giving it to you because you're cold and your shirt is clinging to your skin a bit too much! Your overalls are barely managing in covering you up! C'mon, have you no shame around royalty?"

The moment she was made aware of this fact her face went so red she nearly became a tomato. Zidane couldn't help but chuckle while discretely trying to peek while Steiner turned the other way around in case he suffer the consequences of being branded as a pervert. Vivi, as young as he is, was a bit slow on the draw and had Garnet turn him to where Steiner is facing now as he tried to figure out what the commotion was all about.

"All right people, move along! We have a cave to get out of. Come on, get walking." I walked past everyone in the hopes they'll follow without argument and any added comment.

\- FF FF FF -

It did not take us long to find the exit out of that cavern. The setting sun greeted us once we had made our first steps back in the outside world. We must have spent majority of the day under the spell of the Black Waltz if I were to judge the time difference now. We're going to have to make camp and use the rest of tomorrow to get to Dali then.

I chose not to take part in the group's squabble about Garnet changing her name to Dagger. If I did take part in it I would say that it would be a huge leap of logic that just changing her name to a basic weapon-type that it would effectively hide your identity. If people had any intelligent thought in their heads then they would be able to know what the princess of Alexandria looks like or at least recognize her if they get a good look at her.

Anyways, I let them have their argument. Alyssa, on the other hand, encouraged Garnet's chosen name change. Not that her part would have mattered since the events of the game are going along smoothly without our presence affecting it yet. I just hope it stays that way.

Within a few hours we managed to make it down the cavern exit and decently close the gap between us and Dali, however we all decided to make camp now right as it was getting dark. No need to have monster attacks while we journeyed under the blanket of darkness at night.

Even with the passage of time, the dream I had earlier still lingered in my mind. Why did I have to dream that whole thing up again? Experiencing it once is enough, but going through it again? That is too much. It also felt too real for it to have been a dream! I could still feel my arm tingling afterwards. And this is the first time I've had a dream about that. After all those weeks in school and at home when I had a normal life and this is the time my brain decides to put me back in that scenario. Why?

I know that the basketball game was a pretty traumatizing time. I accept that. The other school even sent a formal letter apologizing for what happened and even covered my hospital bill to make things right. And also I think I heard that the guy who did this to me was suspended.

Getting my wrist broken during all that commotion got me recognized for a bit in campus. I didn't need that in my life though, but it was pretty nice for a while before it got annoying, answering the same questions when a curious person came around to ask about it. It did, however, give me an opportunity to have fun with it by changing things up in the story or giving it a bit of flair. But it really did get annoying.

When people have dreams it often means there's something significant in it. Maybe that's why I had it in the first place. Okay, let's think about it. What else am I missing…

_"Thanks for saving me, man."_

Oh yeah, the most obvious thing about it. The whole reason why I even have a cast in the first place: I tried to be a hero.

I would still have an okay arm with less plaster on it if I didn't step in. I could lose all that recognition I had because of it, but that's an okay trade for some peace and quiet. And perhaps I wouldn't be in this mess if my sister thought to cheer me up by bringing me with her on that cursed beach trip. Maybe if I didn't act on instinct and let myself be a hero.

The what-ifs and could haves of the consequences of my actions. Being a hero didn't end up being all it could have been though. Here I am not physically a hundred percent in a foreign land, unable to do anything or contribute anything to the group, wishing for my same old, lousy normal life. What a hero.

"Been a while since we heard a peep from 'ya.." I look up from the fire Vivi had already made for our camp. Zidane was standing on the opposite side, looking at me with a hint of curiosity and concern.

"Oh…I was just thinking." I replied, surprisingly honestly. My mind must still be occupied and unable to think of a better lie.

"Yeah? What'cha thinking?" Zidane took a seat beside me, warming his own hand close to the fire. Even his tail wanted a bit of heat from it. I couldn't help but look at him warily.

Maybe I was too tired from the walk, despite the sleep I got in the cavern, or I was just being too paranoid but I'm really hesitant to talk to Zidane. Most likely that I will say something that will give away my secret. I looked around as subtly as I could, hoping for someone to whisk the sly thief away or to drag me into the woodlands near our camp in an attempt to kill me. Unfortunately, in regards for the former, everyone else is busy in securing the tent and the perimeter while we seem to be safe enough for the latter matter.

I sighed. Guess nobody is gonna save me from this. Quick! Make something up! "Just the whole thing at the cavern, you know? I know the place's cold and all, but wasn't it unusual for it to blasting with ice right where the exit is? It's like we set foot in a trap right then and there."

"When you say it like that it kinda doesn't make any sense." Zidane started rubbing his chin. His eyes went over to the princess. "Something didn't feel right with it."

"Nothing would feel right if you were freezing with three layers of clothes on," I tried to joke. That got a chuckle out of him.

"Wish it worked though." Me too. I would have been able to help out with that boss fight if it did.

"It might've allowed us to get out of that cave and in to the nearest town sooner."

Zidane shrugged as he stretched his arms and lied down on the grass, careful to move his tail away. He closed his eyes, resting them for a bit. "Might've, would've. We're here now. Don't need to think hard about it. All that matters is that we're all okay."

"Didn't know you care so much for a bunch of strangers. Sure you may be in a mission to take the princess somewhere, but I'm sure you didn't plan on adding some stragglers to your party to get there."

"Plans change. I can't do everything on my own. Tantalus was supposed to get Dagger out of the kingdom. We just didn't expect them to shoot us out of the sky."

"And that she wanted to come without a fight." I added. Zidane nodded.

"Besides, we're all pretty much friends now," The blond said. He opened an eye and looked at me, seeing me shake my head at his naïve use of the word 'friends'. "What?"

I leaned closer to the fire a bit, laying my cheek into the palm of my left hand, trying to hide the annoyance building up in my head. "Let's be honest. People become friends because they've hung out with each other for weeks and stayed with each other for months. We've only known each other for at least 3 days and we all barely know each other's history." Now that's not true. However, they don't know my history except for the fake background story I've told them. "By that definition, we have yet to be friends."

"That's your definition. Friends don't have to be physically around each other to be friends. People become friends because they help other people, they offer advice, stick with each other through thick and thin, and accept other people for who they are. Sure we've been walking around in the Mist for a few days now, but I'm sure we've started trusting everyone here since we met in Alexandria. Except for Rusty, I think."

We both glanced at the older knight, who had stood near Garnet/Dagger as she pulled up Vivi after he accidentally tripped on the rope holding the tent together. He must have noticed us looking at him as he quickly directed his attention to us and glared at us for some reason. I looked away before he could stare a hole into my forehead while Zidane chuckled.

"Plus, even if you don't trust me or Vivi or Dagger, you still have Alyssa, right?" What was that supposed to mean?

"Zidane's got a point." I almost jumped when someone dumped a bunch of firewood near the fire the moment I wondered who said that line. It was actually Alyssa who said it. She put a hand on my shoulder, I think it was to apologize for somewhat surprising me like that, as she sat down. "Well, the first part about friends, I mean. You should know that since you've already experienced what Zidane's said."

Looking back, what she said is true. Garnet/Dagger has given me advice after my diatribe of being useless, Steiner (even with his grumpy attitude towards me for my actions against that soldier back in Alexandria) helped me out the other day, and even I've done the same to Vivi by offering some direction when it came to fighting. I guess I've been wrapped up in my own definition of friendship that I never managed to look at it in another way.

Before I could even thank the two of them, we hear this sudden cry coming from the woods near our camp site.

"Wh-What in the name of Gaia was that!?" Steiner exclaimed, putting himself between the woods and Garnet/Dagger and Vivi in case they get attacked by whatever made that noise.

"It sounded like a girl…" Vivi added as he fixed his hat after jumping in surprise from hearing the scream. It didn't help that the bush seemed to be swaying as if something is ready to jump out.

Alyssa and Zidane started to gather near the knight with their own weapons out, preparing to face whatever entity that would come out at us. I know that screams from the woods never bode well to anyone bold enough to investigate, and it doesn't matter how many of us are here if this pans out like a horror movie. And what sucks about this is that the game never had an event like this happen during this time. It was all random encounters with monsters and the occasional friendly monster.

Hmm…what would be the chances of this encounter having a friendly monster?

"Help! Please help!" A woman crawled out of the bushes, her sudden appearance almost making everyone attack her. She was wounded, her attire had been torn a bit and we could see some bites on her arms and shoulders. Zidane was the first to be on her side, holding her up before she could drop to the ground.

"Alyssa, get a potion! She's seriously hurt!" She was already pulling out a blue vial just as he finished saying it. When she had her fill of the potion, she coughed but started to look better than she initially was.

"Please help…I got attacked by Pythons in the woodlands. My chocobo eggs won't make it to Treno if I leave them!"

"Chocobo eggs?" That was the only takeaway I had when she finished speaking.

Steiner put his sword down and knelt beside the lady. "It is my duty as a knight to protect those in need of help. How many of those pesky Pythons are there?"

"There were a dozen of them!" I think even Steiner blanched a bit at the number she gave him. I nearly choked on my own saliva when I heard it. Zidane, on the other hand, didn't let the amount of Pythons get to him.

"That's too much of them!" Vivi said, also sharing the surprise number of predators.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure your chocobo eggs are safe." Zidane told him, patting the black mage on the shoulder. He let the woman up and helped her stand. "Just hang out at our camp and we'll bring them over to you."

The chocobo lady was about to say something as Zidane made his way to the woodlands for a peek. He parted the bush and looked with the rest of us peeking over his shoulder. I frowned when I saw the amount of Pythons as well as the brown trolley carrying what had been double the number of monsters along with a single black feathered chocobo beside it.

"Are you kidding me?" I couldn't help but say. I felt two things nudge me at my sides and the sight of Garnet/Dagger and Alyssa's displeased faces at my statement welcomed me. "Fine. If you guys want to play hero, be my guest. I'll escort her to our camp and wait there."

I didn't wait for their approval as I guided Miss Chocobo past our tent. However, she had other plans. She grabbed my wrist, and thank goodness it was the good one, and turned me around.

"Wait! We need to get my chocobo out of there. She'll get hurt!" She said, pointing to where the others have charged off to.

I waved off her worries nonchalantly. "Don't worry. They're good fighters and they'll make sure your chocobo is safe."

"But I can't take that chance! You have to help me!"

I hung my head and breathed, trying to stop the urge to shout at her. It's not my place to just tell her to buzz off when we're already fighting her battle for her, but it's not really my responsibility either—

"If you're not gonna help then fine!" Her sudden cry snapped me out of my brief thoughts. She turned and ran towards the woodlands. The only thing I was able to do at that moment was to reach out and stop her, but that didn't work since I instinctively reached out with my right arm and my fingers weren't able to grab anything with the cast impeding such movement.

Before I knew it, I was after her. My mind had only kicked into gear when I was in front of a large black bird secured to a light-brown trolley with a handful of eggs under a tarp.

"Blake, what are you doing here?" Vivi piped up, attacking with fire on one of the Pythons trying to get a bite out of us.

"I have no idea," I honestly answered. When the Pythons hissed at me for my arrival, I pointed my knife at them. "Stay back!"

The bird was actually an adult chocobo and it wasn't even an ordinary one at that. I've only read up on the different kinds of chocobos and from what I could remember the ones with black feathers were really special. It was panicking, flapping its black wings in an attempt to threaten the Pythons. The Chocobo Lady was trying to calm it down, but it knew that having these predators around wouldn't help.

One of the Pythons slipped past Zidane and tackled the trolley with its head, knocking one of the wheels off. This sent three of the shelled cargo to drop, causing immediate concern for the Lady and her feathered friend. It managed to grab one egg with its beak, but the two were open and easy prey to our scaled enemies. Steiner had managed to cut down one slithering to the egg, however another one had wrapped itself on the other.

Seeing something so little be so defenceless made a part of my brain tick; Its mouth was ready to swallow the thing whole. The sight reminded me of that damned basketball game, Andrew being on the receiving end of who-knows-what from that guy. My best friend…so defenseless.

I didn't even realize my knife impaling that Python's face for reminding me.

"No breakfast for you." It wasn't my wittiest line, but it did the trick for me.

"Look out!" Alyssa had tackled me to the ground for two Pythons tried to bite me for interrupting their meal. It didn't take long for them to receive the business end of her sword.

"You want me to help. Fine. Then I'll help. Hold this for me." I gave Alyssa the egg in my hands before punting at one of the dead Pythons and going at it, knife leading the way, towards another.

"Wait up! You need back up!" She called after me. I saw her hand Vivi the egg we saved as she helped me out.

The fight only lasted for a few minutes with all of our combined efforts. I managed to get two more Pythons with my small weapon. It wasn't a big feat but it did earn me a few harsh bites and bruises from them, which was nothing with Garnet/Dagger's white magic assisting us. Plus, Alyssa kept watching over me in case I broke another important bone doing all these heroics.

On a side note, I noticed the others juggling that one egg we gave to Vivi to protect. Steiner actually took it from him since he thought it was impeding his casting. He didn't notice a Python get behind him and attempt to take a bite out of his armor, but Zidane was there to save the day and the egg from the attack. It caused him to get surrounded by the remaining monsters, however, which made him toss the egg to Gar—Dagger. The Chocobo Lady didn't like the egg being treated like a game of hot potato so she took it from the princess before it got cracked in the shuffle.

When it was all said and done, every Python looking for food was lying on the ground in their own respective pool of green blood. I was breathing harder than I could ever remember like my lungs were ready to collapse. Alyssa had to take away my knife just in case I jumped on another already dead Python. Double-checking if they were really dead probably made me look crazy.

"It definitely does." I heard Dagger comment. Thanks a lot, Dagger.

The trolley was assisted out of the woodlands near our camp so we could get the wheel fixed. Afterwards, the Chocobo Lady had faced us with a hearty smile after she covered her cargo with a fresh tarp to protect them.

"Thank you so much for protecting our precious eggs!" She exclaimed, holding the one egg that nearly fell victim in the attack closely to her chest.

"No problem! I'm just glad none of them got cracked or anything," Zidane said, scratching the back of his head nonchalantly. All I could do was shrug.

All while this was happening, I barely noticed the adult chocobo stalk behind me and rub its beak on my hair. I stiffened, not knowing what to do. I didn't want to make any sudden movements since large animals tend to take a bite of things that move suddenly. Well, that's what I remember from my time at the zoo anyways.

"Oh, she likes you." The Chocobo Lady remarked. Its black beak could easily bite my brain out from where it's going.

"Y-Yeah. T-Tell her the feeling's mu-mutual." I was nervous, okay! I don't know how chocobo's act so this is all new to me.

She giggled as she tried to lead it away from me. But as that was happening, they shared a silent moment before both turning to me. The chocobo nudged her master over to our group again, causing her to giggle.

"You know I just can't thank you enough for helping me over there that I'd like to give you something. Here." She presented the egg she had in her arms to us. We just looked at her for a second, unsure if she really wanted to do that. "C'mon, take it! Just promise me that you'll take care of the little thing when it hatches, okay?"

"We appreciate your kindness and accept your reward," Steiner bowed as he said this. The egg was handed over to the young black mage, who offered his own thanks.

One minute later, she was waving at us from a distance, walking alongside her chocobo as they travelled to the gate leading to Treno. Her gift made us just a bit happier for doing what we did. Zidane had this proud grin on his face, Vivi was giddy at imagining what the baby chocobo would be like, causing Dagger to enlighten us about newly hatched chocobos from her studies when she was younger.

I, on the other hand, was still shaking. All the adrenaline running through my system after a fight like that, aside from feeling just a bit threatened by the adult black feather chocobo, just made gave me a realization of how real things were. I guess it didn't register from that boss fight in the Evil Forest since I was too focused on game details. Just jumping in like that between the Pythons put things in perspective to me.

I'm not a hero, and I don't want to be, but even someone like me has something to fight for and that's something I can't avoid in this world. Whether for self-defense or for the sake of someone or something else, I have to fight and it doesn't matter if I know how. If not knowing how and just acting helped me save Andrew then I guess that'll be my main forte. Just take what I have and roll with it. I guess even heroes have times when don't know what they're doing.

But I would know what I'm doing. I'm a thinker after all. With all the information I have on the game, I can still use that to my advantage. I can go ahead and use what I have to avoid suffering any major damage. Use any boss information and character weaknesses against them until Alyssa and I can go home without changing the course of the game's history and events. Can't have an advantage if you change what happens.

Home…when will I ever see my home again…?

"Hey, you feeling alright?" Alyssa asks me. I close my hands and put them down.

"Yeah," I answer truthfully, smiling. "I think everything will be all right."


	13. Change Your Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where our heroes finally arrive in a sleepy town.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 12: Change Your Fate

\- Blake -

It was the middle of the night and everyone else was asleep. I could see Vivi and Zidane sleeping on their sides near the remains of our fire, the egg from the lady sitting between their heads. Steiner was silently snoring as he stood at the entrance of the tent like the good soldier he is. I'm sure Alyssa and Dagger were having a peaceful slumber in the tent.

That meant I was the only one still awake.

I couldn't really do this when everyone around me was up, but I needed to make sure my things were in order. I need to take note of what I have.

I fished around my pockets and pulled out my remaining potions as well as the sleeping potions I gathered from the Cave Imps. I had enough to count with two hands, a very useful item in case I needed someone or something off my back. Just break it on them and they should be snoring in a few seconds.

Speaking of Cave Imps, the jackets I borrowed from them should still be in the tent bag we have. I can sell that off easily for a lot of gill. I can have a spending budget once I'm done getting rid of them.

After that is the knife. My current go-to weapon. Unless I can get a short sword that doesn't make my arms shake as if I was trying to lift a chair then I'll have to stick with this thing. Either that or get a dagger set for myself. I can always just have a back-up weapon tied around my leg in case I get captured or disarmed. Catch your enemy off-guard with something clever like that.

Alongside my pocket items was my wallet. There's nothing of use in here. Just some 1x1 and 2x2 pictures of myself, IDs from my school, and some cash. It's the only reminder of the real world I have right now. If I somehow die in this journey then they can use my ID to identify the body, unless they get curious as to where my school is located. Ask too many questions about it and I'll only provide more of those than answers.

As I was putting things back to where they were, I noticed that I missed something where I out my wallet. It felt like a piece of paper. After pulling it out, it didn't look like any money I had or notes I've jotted down. The last thing I could remember about having a piece of paper on me was the ticket to the play in Alexandria. I Want to be Your Canary. An odd title for a play, but to me all plays were odd.

I unfurled the paper to expect some reading details about the play or something about Dagger's birthday being celebrated. That was not the one I see. These small paragraphs were no longer on the ticket, not even the title of the play or the date it was issued. No word about Alexandria or the princess. All of it was replaced by three words.

"Change your fate."

"Wh-wh-what?" I stammered. As hard as my eyes would want to stare at it, it didn't force the piece of paper that was supposed to be my ticket to change back to a plain old ticket. I even flipped it back and forth, hoping it would have been just an illusion like some trick cards I had when I was younger, but it didn't.

I felt a chill go down my spine. My hand felt clammy and I didn't know when my forehead had begun being covered in sweat. It wasn't the fact that the ticket was no longer a ticket was what scared me, but that it had become a faint reminder of something familiar.

It had taken me a few minutes to make an attempt to shake of the shock to think about this phrase. Someone probably switched it with my ticket. But who in the world would even want to do that? Why go to such lengths for a little trick like this?

I had to look around. Only the darkness under the silent trees and unmoving bushes from the nearby woodlands greeted my eyes. Aside from that there was no one out there snickering to themselves.

Wait a second. I've heard this before. Where did I hear this before…where…where…?

"Change your fate…"

A light bulb went off in my brain. It was that dream I had in the Cavern! The part where things went differently than what I remembered!

Goddamnit, I'm gonna go crazy…

My head snapped up at the noise I heard. It wasn't anything worth grabbing my knife, but I still did, when I noticed Vivi moving. He scratched at his eyes, sleep still framing his glowing yellow eyes.

"Blake? You're still up?" He asked softly, not wanting to wake up the others.

"Sorry for the ruckus." I replied, trying to put away some of my belongings. "I was just checking on my things. Don't worry about me, you keep on sleeping. I'll be unconscious in a minute."

The black mage looked at me for a second, his mind probably still lagging a bit due to being woken up, before he nodded and settled back down. "Okay. Good night."

"Night." I said. It didn't even take a minute for him to get back to sleep.

I lied down on my back, eyes staring out into the vast space in the sky, as my mind swam with questions. Lying to them with fake backstories and trying to find a way home is proving to be more annoying and troublesome than I expected. Maybe jumping on the Prima Vista was a mistake. And this mistake is giving me more questions about my being here than answers.

Looking for answers is really difficult. The bigger problem is, where do you start looking for answers when you don't fully understand the question itself?

\- FF FF FF -

Most of my days would not start at the morning, instead I would wake up somewhere around noon and usually end in the middle of a sunrise. Since I'm not in the real world anymore I should have expected that same routine to change. Especially when I thought I would wake up on my own accord, even more especially with what I found out what happened to my play ticket.

What I didn't expect was to be woken up by being poked in the forehead. I could feel my irritation building up, my eyebrows just knitting together with each poke. My throat may have started off dry this morning but that still didn't stop me from snarling at whoever is trying to wake me up. You really cannot blame me from being mad at this early in the day when I could barely feel the sun grace me with its presence.

"Zidane…" I spoke up, feeling that I have the right person to blame since he's the kind of person to play this kind of trick. "If I open my eyes and see your cocky face trying to wake me up, I will cut you."

I hoped that would stop him from poking me awake. It didn't.

"…What?" I heard him reply groggily. And his voice was definitely farther than what I thought. My threat definitely fell off the wayside. Realizing this, I went for another guess.

"Vivi?" That was met with a slight snore to my left. The black mage sounded like he was still asleep.

"Alyssa?" No response. She must still be in the tent. My last two guesses were Steiner and Dagger, but I knew they are not the kind of people to do this. With my list of suspects completely emptied, I had to resort to the most obvious tactic I should have done just a minute ago.

I opened my eyes.

It still wasn't that bright at this time of day, the sky still somewhat dim and if I had to guess it was about 5 o'clock. I could barely see a figure at the edge of my right eye standing there right by my head. It was so close that it took me a while to realize that it was staring back at me, a pair of dead, beady eyes piercing through my soul. And suddenly and silently it poked me again.

One moment later after contact, my voice filled the whole valley.

I had already scrambled fifteen feet away from the thing attacking me in my sleep. Everyone else was wide awake and alert, brandishing their respective weapons and trying to find the source of the noise, like Steiner nearly fell from his standing slumber while Alyssa and Dagger ran out of the tent, sword and rod in their hands.

"Who's there!?" Steiner cried, eyes sweeping the whole area.

"That sounded like a girl is in trouble!" Alyssa added as she stood beside the knight. Then she found me cowering way past the tent. "Blake?"

I was frantically pointing to the spot I was sleeping in earlier. "I was being attacked in my sleep! It was terrible! I'm lucky to be alive! Please kill it!"

I was looking through the gaps between my fingers on my cast-encased arm as they all turned their heads where my finger is pointed. I heard them ready their weapons once they all had their target in sight, but I was dumbfounded when I didn't hear battle cries and weapons clashing. All they did there, as I saw through my fingers, was look back at me with what seemed like shame before dropping their fighting stances.

"What? Did it kill itself when it saw how many you were?" I asked, utterly confused why there wasn't any fighting happening.

"I don't know what's really scary with something so little…" Vivi said. It was when my brain registered that last part of that sentence did I ever begin thinking for the first time today.

My eyes focused on the spot where I slept near the burned out pile of ashes which was our camp fire and saw something particularly odd. The egg that the Chocobo Lady gave us was not a whole round object anymore. It was already broken apart by half with the other half was on the ground in smaller pieces. Near said smaller pieces was this small creature about the size of my palm looking like it had just walked out of a sauna due to its black feathers being so flat and thin and soiled. And it barely could even stand with its thin baby legs.

So it took about five minutes after waking up in shock for my brain to properly load up and realize that I panicked over something that was as threatening as a rock. It was merely a baby chocobo that hatched sometime early in the day. The shame came rising in a furious blush followed by an incredulous glare I aimed at Alyssa.

"I did not sound like a girl!" I rushed to my feet and stomped over to my former sleeping place.

"No shame in being scared, Blake," Zidane tried to calm me down. "You were taken by surprise. Big deal." I was seriously considering cutting him.

Dagger was actually knelt near the baby and was observing it alongside Vivi. "Are they normal?" He asked the princess. "My grandpa's only shown me chocobos with yellow feathers."

"There is not much information about the various types of chocobos that live in the land," Dagger responded. "But from what I've learned from my books is that dark feathered ones are very rare."

"Strange that we came upon two of them in two days," Steiner observed our luck with this kind of chocobo.

As they were conversing and wondering about some other factoids relating to chocobos, Alyssa fawning over the little thing like it was cute or Vivi wondering what could be used to help it get dry or Zidane musing how soon chocobo eggs were supposed to hatch, I was angry that I had gotten a less satisfying sleep than it did have a satisfactory hatching. I would normally be okay with only a bit of sleep, but after yesterday I feel like I've exerted myself too much that my limbs had started to ache.

Besides, after finding out that my ticket was nothing but a piece of paper with a mystery message on it really did not do me any good sleeping. Discovering that was not part of the agenda and it caused me to have this weird mix of a nightmare/flashback to that basketball game again. It was almost the same game, but the walls had that message all over the place. Not the best dream, easily topping my worst list.

But back to my lousy morning. I am not going to get involved in their conversation because I knew what a chocobo is, well general knowledge of it anyway, the only thought I had in mind was getting this thing over with and get to Dali since we're already up.

"The scoundrel is right. We should depart now while we are wide awake." I hear Steiner say. Then I noticed him standing right beside me. Damn, got caught talking to myself again. Everyone agreed and started to get their things. Alyssa pulled one of the jackets we stored in our tent bag and used it to wipe the baby chocobo's gross feathers.

"So what are we going to do with it?" Vivi asked Zidane as they watched Alyssa take care of the hatchling.

"Guess we'll have to take care of it now," he replied, a smile forming on his lips. "That lady did give it to us. Might as well make it our mascot."

"Yeah. Mascot. Maybe we should make up a team name as well and make uniforms." I added.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Alyssa, please. I was being sarcastic. "I know. That doesn't mean I'm gonna let your foul mood ruin this." Ruin what? "The baby chocobo's birth! Hatching! Er…you know what I mean!"

Then I heard my stomach growl in the worst possible time. I'm already sleep deprived and now hungry. "Breakfast sounds good right about now." My eyes couldn't help but focus on the chocobo in the jacket in her arms when it chirped at me. I heard Alyssa gasp and take a step back. Then I noticed Zidane and Dagger look at me like as if I was insane. "What?"

\- FF FF FF -

"Come on! Stop looking at me like that. I was only joking."

We had already started to move from our camping spot, put out the fire and put the tent back in its bag as we continued towards the village of Dali. We had spent most of the day walking and keeping an eye out for any monsters that planned to harm us. While doing so, we talked. Though I didn't expect it to be about what I had brought up at camp.

That previous statement was directed at Alyssa, who was still looking at me as if I planned a murder in front of her and insisted it would be for the betterment of mankind, like those insane villains in videogames.

"That's because you did plan to murder this poor little thing and wanted to eat him." Alyssa told me as she looked over her shoulder. I stayed all the way back of the group as they all presumed I was crazy. Well, Alyssa did. She had cradled the chocobo chick in her arms, 'protecting' it from me, as she says. She and the others managed to get that sticky layer on it with an extra rag, making it okay for us to touch it.

"That is beside the point." I replied to the girl, blocking a yawn with my cast. "Don't you know sarcasm when you hear it? I would never murder a poor, innocent, irrelevant chick."

"Then why did you push that soldier off the Prima Vista?" She interjected, trying to change the topic accidentally and bringing up something that was starting to annoy me.

"This is not a good time to be arguing about that thing." I said with a hint of irritation I was trying to hide. "Besides, she was threatening to torture me. Don't you guys understand how bad it would have been if I did not get rid of that girl. It would have been horrific. Plus, I bet she wouldn't last one second in the Evil Forest."

"The soldiers of Alexandria are trained by the land's greatest for if they didn't then they wouldn't be serving under General Beatrix." Steiner said with his serious voice.

"Alright, alright." I said, motioning for the two Alexandrians to calm down, especially Steiner before he loses his top again. "If I see that girl again, which would be never, I will apologize to her and to General Beatrix for pushing off one of her troops into a body of water. And who knows, I might even confess my love for her."

"Is that sarcasm?" Vivi asked innocently.

"Yes, that was sarcasm." I stated in the most deadpan tone I could ever do. "I'd never do what I just said."

"I bet a hundred gil Dagger's gonna force you to do it if you happen to find yourself on Alexandria." Zidane said as he nodded over to the princess.

"I'll take your bet, Zidane." I called over to him. "Hell, I'd even raise you a hundred more just because I'm quite confident it'll never happen, right princess?"

"No promises," said by the lovely princess with the eye contact she gave me was less than lovely. "And please avoid calling me 'princess'. It will blow my cover."

"Yes, ma'am." I slinked to the back of our group at Dagger's surprising glare. How come she doesn't glare at Steiner like that for continuously calling her 'princess'?

Anyway, the six of us continued our journey to the little village mentioned earlier. We had been walking for about two hours in a fragile formation due to our bantering about the baby chocobo, which worried me because a monster would probably attack any moment and we would be scrambling for our fighting formation. It's probably a good thing that we didn't catch sight of any monster with deadly intentions towards us, so that's a plus.

You know, all this talk about the chick just gave me a curious little thought that nobody has yet to ask: what is the chick's gender? Hard to believe that it took me hours to formulate that question. I wonder if Alyssa wondered over that same thought as she's petting the darn thing in her arms, cooing over it like it was a cute puppy she picked off the side of the road. Maybe I'll ask later. Dagger's my best bet to know since she's read up about chocobos.

And finally, after nearly half a day spent just around lunch time, we had finally arrived. I only felt excited due to the fact that I'm near a bed.

We walked into Dali welcomed by the sight of small, one-story buildings each with a curved roof and all having a white paint with only a few important ones being a little bigger, a stone arch for every doorway into said white buildings, a small road composed of flat stones for everyone to walk on and its signature windmill in the background as a beautiful and distracting set piece alongside a very tall and healthy tree with yellow fruit (mangoes?) hanging low from its branches. It was really THE epitome of a small, quiet village. Well, except for its well-guarded secret.

The windmill wasn't like the usual three or four bladed one that spins clockwise when it's being moved by the air. No, this one is different. Instead, it had five wind sails on the top of the structure and it would still move because of the wind. It's just an odd variation of the usual windmills I have been used to seeing back on Earth.

We saw a couple of small children playing around, laughing together and chasing each other as we entered the village's premises. Birds, pigeons or Gaia's version of pigeons flew above us and perched on the edges of the stone arches, looking at us like surveillance cameras. Vivi stared at the windmill as it distracted him as it spun around while the others were looking around. Steiner volunteered to look around the town for any sort of thing worth noting, such as the inn or the shop. He would have not volunteered if he knew that those two were already within reach upon entering the village, but we still let him look around. He came back a few seconds later.

"Vivi, the inn is this way!" Zidane called out to the distracted black mage.

"Aw, do we have to?" Vivi asked, to which Zidane nodded as a response. "…But I wanna go and see the windmill." He sure likes that windmill. I thought he only liked looking at it because he was only a kid, and like most kids they would have a short attention span. But from how he sounded like, he really wanted to look at it a little longer.

"I know. But let's get some rest first." He said, pointing to the inn, which was like any building in Dali, except it had a sign of a bed with a crescent moon and some stars on it. "We also need to decide what to do next." He's tired, we get it. He fought a custom made black mage with its friendly and charming Sealion alongside Alyssa and I know he deserves some rest, but did he even think about how much rest the others, including me, had while they were fighting? I think not. Steiner and Garnet even looked at each other, then me and Vivi, until they decided on a decision, and I knew what that would be.

"You guys go on ahead. I just need to conduct some…business." I pointed to the tent bag I had carried for the group after we departed from our campsite. My concern was trying to solve one dilemma I would surely have in the future. Might as well fix that now. Besides, I didn't feel tired. A bit disturbed because of my dreams, but not tired. I guess that chocobo chick scared the fatigue out of me.

"Okay, Blake's not sleeping yet." Zidane said as he approached the door.

"But please save me a bed." The thief shrugged at my statement as they filed into the inn. Alyssa had to snap Vivi back to reality, or my dream reality as my previous theory states, before they were left behind.

So with them trying to arrange our sleeping quarters, I decided to walk into the shop right next door, forcing down a yawn before I could open it. The lady there greeted briefly when I stepped inside, getting a polite greeting back with a similarly polite smile to go along with it. I immediately asked her if the winter weather was harsh for the farmers in the village or if they happen to experience really cold months near the end of the year.

I bartered with her for a while, trying to sell the jackets I procured from the cave. Seeing as they only have simple clothing in supply and such jackets were not that common in the area, she gladly accepted my five jackets for 400 gil. Why only five? Well, the last one is being used by the baby chocobo. Plus, it had that hatchling goo on it and I doubt she'd want to get that from me.

Now that I have some money on my hands, I bid the lady behind the counter my thanks and farewell before joining with the others. All I can say about the inside of the inn was that it's basically like the game, but with bigger space. The walls were also painted white, but you would be hard pressed to notice that with all of the plants and decorations put in here. The floor consisted of stone formed into small stepping patterns with green to cover the parts that aren't stone. A fireplace warmed the room with a small fire with a cat resting above said fireplace, spectating over us with its head on its paws. A wooden desk stood before what I think was a door, and behind that desk sat a man who was wandering the streets of dreamland. Guess the conversation with the others didn't wake him up hard enough. I let him sleep and just entered the only room available.

"Wait just a minute." Alyssa spoke up, making everyone look at her. Oh, I guess I walked in on that very important conversation about Dagger's motives. "So Dagger wasn't kidnapped against her own will, but she actually joined up with you guys because she wanted to get kidnapped?" The girl in question could only nod. "Why?"

Her 'being like an ordinary civilian' act is kind of off putting when she does it. She says she can't lie, but what she's doing right now is just asking questions she already knows the answers to, yet it is still lying. Is it just her own method of avoiding situations that demand her to outright lie? Well, one positive I can get from this is getting a summary of what they've been discussing while I was away. Surely it wasn't much.

"Everyone, please listen." Dagger spoke carefully. "There is a reason I must leave this kingdom I cannot tell you why… But… please…" All Zidane did was nod understandingly.

"I'll get you to Lindblum somehow." He promised. That was when Steiner decided to blow his top off for the sake of Alexandria.

"I've heard enough!" He shouted.

"Shhh!" I went over to the knight and hissed. "Do you want to be heard by everyone? Do you even know how much this kind of information will cost to the right people? It could be a fortune, so control yourself from letting everyone know!" I told him in the lowest whispering voice I had, but apparently he had other things to worry about.

"Princess, you cannot trust the words of a thief!" He said to Her Royal Highness. "He may expose you to even more danger, like he did in Evil Forest. I beg of you, Princess. Please return with me to the castle."

"He has a point there." I remarked offhandedly. Zidane stepped in, trying to defend himself from the captain's accusations. Well, not much of an accusation, but more of a fact.

"I know I screwed up in Evil Forest. But there's no doubt in my mind now. I'll protect Dagger with my life." Zidane said to the knight.

"Aw, that sounds so romantic." Alyssa said as she pet the chocobo in her hands, but Steiner disagreed vehemently.

"Don't be ridiculous! It is I who protect the princess, now and forever!"

"Then tell me. How do you intend to take her back to the castle?" Zidane countered.

"I-I will think of a way…" The armored man trailed off, trying to think of a way, making Zidane shake his head. They were going to go at it again, but they heard something that made them stop. Even Steiner had to stop himself from blowing a gasket when he saw where this noise they were hearing came from.

It was Vivi, dozing off on one of the beds.

"Master Vivi…" I heard Steiner sigh. Yes Steiner, Vivi might be a child, but he's mature enough to know that arguing with each other is useless and will not bring any resolution to our current problem. Though he is still baffled by mortality, war, and manipulation, but that's the norm around here.

"He was tired. But you had to go on a tirade." Yeah, shift the blame to someone else. You're as guilty as Steiner is, and you know it. Before Steiner could even respond, he was cut off and left steaming by himself.

The rest of us who weren't tired yet then started talking about something else unrelated to the castle or Dagger's reason for leaving said castle. Zidane and Dagger were talking more about on how to act like an average citizen of the continent while Steiner looked on, keeping an eye on the thief in case he made an unnecessary move on the princess. Alyssa and I, on the other hand, focused on the oversized chick that was now stuck with us. She's probably forgiven me for saying what I said earlier.

She sat down on the stool while I positioned myself on one of the vacant beds near her. I could easily see the chocobo's wandering eyes searching for something. I busy trying to stifle a yawn behind my cast when I heard it chirp, its head turned at me as I thought about going to sleep. It was like it was trying to get my attention with its constant twittering, but the only thing it was doing was making noise. As if on instinct I put up a finger and hissed at it, telling it to shut up. Of course it didn't since it did not have any formal training in understanding human body language and gestures.

"I think it's calling for you," Alyssa told me, trying to calm down the little thing by running a finger down its neck. "Wanna hold it?"

"Are you sure you want the guy who wanted to eat it for breakfast?" I countered to her, remembering how off-put she was with my comment. She frowned at me and pointed at me as if warning me. "Fine, I'll avoid making jokes about it so it'll finally pipe down. Hand it over."

Alyssa gently placed the jacket in my arms and my mind instantly went to thinking like handling it like a newborn. Technically it was anyway, but not of human birth but still a baby nonetheless. The moment it realized it was in my arms that it started to tone down on the chirping. Thank goodness with that. We didn't want to wake up Vivi. He needed all the rest he could get for the following day.

Zidane's conversation with Dagger eventually wavered until both of them yawned. "I think that's for it today. I'm gonna go to sleep." I looked over and Dagger looked equally tired while our resident knight was too busy standing in one place and eyeing the thief that he didn't even notice the fatigue clearly written on his face.

"Yeah, you guys get some rest. I'll be taking a look at the village." I said on my way out as everyone except Alyssa was yawning. Zidane, Dagger, and Steiner, who followed the two's lead hesitantly and kept an eye on the suave thief, each went to their respective beds and lied down.

"Hey wait!" Alyssa called out in a low voice when she came after me. We passed the unconscious innkeeper and exited the building and were greeted by a sky transitioning from orange to dark blue. The chocobo in my arms made a soft sound as it watched the sky. Both of us looked at the windmill that was still spinning at a time like this.

We didn't say a word for a while. We just stood there and looked at the horizon as the sun was winding down with the occasional chirp being added to the background. Nobody was around, probably in their respective houses trying to sleep through the night. Alyssa looked like she's enjoying the view of videogame world made reality, not sure if she is actually doing that, but I was thinking.

I may think of this entire sequence of events as one long lucid dream, but it's beginning to feel real enough for me to consider my theory wrong. Am I wrong? Maybe. That still needs to be proven. Does Alyssa believe that this is just a dream just like me? I don't know. I haven't asked her yet. Oh, speaking of things needed to be asked…

"You know, I have been wondering about this since you mentioned about your 'mentor' some time ago," I used air quotes because I believe her mentor is an old coot, not an actual capable trainer. "Why did you actually want to know self-defense?"

Alyssa petted the chocobo as she answered, "We live in a dangerous world. You really don't know when you're gonna get mugged or attacked. So, I trained in karate and other self-defense arts. I already told you that I studied with a guy who had a brother in a wheelchair, remember?"

Yeah, that sounds like ages ago. "And you happened to know how to swing a sword because of your self-defense classes?"

"Actually, my parents wanted me to learn fencing since I was little." She replied, looking down on the chick in her hands. "I'm not a clear-cut expert, but I know enough."

"That just sounds like a whole lot of coincidence." I said to her. "Aren't fencing swords like tons lighter than a normal sword? How did swinging a tinfoil stick give you the endurance to wield a sword?" She just chuckled, probably thinking of my ignorance to weapon handling somewhat stupid.

"I tried branching out after I gave fencing a try. Didn't really catch my interest. Besides, swords aren't really that modern and useful in our time."

"Ah, maybe you should have trained with a gun instead." I felt her shiver at my attempt of a joke. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing," she simply answered, shaking her head fast.

I hummed, thinking of our current predicament. My mind went back to my thoughts of lucid dreaming. "Do you think this is just a dream?"

My expected answer from her was to ask why I thought this was a dream, yet I earned a pinch on the arm. After I nearly dropped the baby chocobo and yelled in pain, she could only give me a goofy smile. "Sorry, but if this was a dream you would have woken up by now."

I frowned at her attempt at an apology, but did concede her point. I've been thinking about it for a while now. If this was a dream I thought I would be the prime host for the dream. Let's face it, I have the most experience with the game, gone through most of it than her combined three playthroughs. Sure it is impressive to completely finish the game like she did, but I had more experience with the game. That gave me a right to think that I would be the one dreaming and she's only along for the ride. Maybe we were hooked up in an Inception-esque briefcase that's allowing us to dream like this.

But it was easy to think of it that way because you can wake up from dreams. If I didn't like our current situation and realized this was a dream, I could easily simulate a 'jump' like in Inception and wake up. But you really can't wake up when something horrible happens in real life.

And that's the worst case scenario: Something terrible happening and being unable to escape it in this new reality.

"I think we're not dreaming." The girl finally responded. "I'm sure of it. This just feels too real for a lucid dream. I think we've been transported to another dimension or something."

"Oh, sci-fi. Lovely." I remarked. I'm not a big fan of sci-fi all in all, though I consider science as a big part of the human race. Some people are aiming at making hover boards, time machines, and long term space travel because of that genre. I'm just not a fan of the genre, but that does not mean I hate it.

"It may be too farfetched, but at least it's an idea." She continues. "Even if it's still not yet technologically possible –"

"Maybe you should switch technology with magic if you're going to continue down that path." I told her with a joking tone. She ignored my statement and went on with her explanation.

"Even if it's not yet technologically possible, there could've been a number of factors that could have enabled this. I mean, what are the chances of lightning hitting us, right? If that can happen, inter-dimensional travel can be possible too."

"A lot of people get struck by lightning all the time. Hell, the chances of someone getting struck by lightning and dying is less than someone dying because of a vending machine." I argued a point that I knew was a fact. She could only give me a reaction that read 'Really?' "But we're veering off topic here. So we have varying theories: A very lucid dream and inter-dimensional travel." I pointed to me and her respectively as I stated our theories. "We're going to need something to prove it."

"If only we could prove it…" Alyssa sighed. Both of us don't know how we ended up in this world. We just agreed to disagree at that point. No use shoving my theory down her throat if she keeps resisting, right? That would be torture and I know torture is certainly illegal in some continents.

Then I just remembered something. There is a single object in my belongings that don't actually fit with my mental inventory, which was something I discovered last night. The ticket I received for the play! It's not a ticket anymore but a mysterious message. This might be connected with our being here in this world. Definitely no coincidence!

Okay so that's one thing down. This feels like I'm starting my own wall of newspaper clippings and threads linking to various hints and objects. A conspiracy wall, my string theories. This is going to make me sound like an exceptional lunatic if this is actually true. But at least that's a lead, right?

"Hey Blake, you've been changing faces there for nearly a minute." Alyssa was waving a hand in front of my face, which was accompanied by the chocobo making noise once again. "I know what could relieve that tension! Dinner!" Her enthusiasm was reduced when she remembered one little fact. "Oh yeah, we don't have any money…"

"Actually, I do." I said nonchalantly. "Sold all those jackets save for this one. Got quite a bit that we can eat."

She was instantly elated to hear that we have money, but as fast as that came it was stopped by hesitation. "Are you sure? You look really out of it, like you need to sleep so much."

The moment she said 'sleep' my body forced a yawn out. Damn me for not being able to resist yawning. "It's fine. Think of it as my way of apologizing for the last few days."

Upon learning that I'm okay to have our combined budget and spend some of it, she shrugged and led me to the nearest food supplying building. So we stepped inside the building with the skull ornament – I think it looks like a skull ornament of an animal – and see two little girls working, busy with their current objective to even look at us. The place was tidier than my closet and that thing is three times smaller than this. There was a set of tables and chairs to the left and the right that were in the process of being set up as if they were closing up for the night. Purple and teal lanterns lit up the place quite nicely, though I think it is a strange decision to use those colors.

I went up to the counter and knocked on the surface loud enough to attract the attention of the girl working behind it, who was wearing a light blue hat. "Excuse me, are you closing? I'm looking for a place to eat and someone said this place would be appropriate."

The girl looked over her shoulder as she worked dutifully and said, "I think we can spare one more." Then we heard someone groan loudly at this statement.

"Ugh…Slai, we're supposed to be closing." The red hated girl complained as she put one of the chairs on the table.

"A bit more money will help us, Marin. Don't be selfish." The girl behind the counter, Slai, told her. She straightened herself as she came up to the counter with a pencil and a piece of paper. "What will you have?"

I first asked what they had available so that we may be familiar with the food we could possibly get without experiencing food poisoning. Slai described each dish they had on the menu as if she was trying to sell the newest car on the lot to possible buyers. She did her job well, that's all I could say about it. Eventually, I stopped her before Alyssa could drool over the food she was dreaming up in her head. We ordered a vegetable stir-fry and a pumpkin salad.

After being told that our food will be served in fifteen minutes, we were directed to her sister so we could take a seat. Despite her grumbling, Marin set us up a table and gave us a glass of water so we don't die of thirst while we waited.

I set down the jacket with the chocobo at the center of the table between our glasses, basically making the black feathered hatchling into a good piece of decoration. The thing looked around, somewhat enamored by the small building, yet its attention was easily taken away from our environment when it set its eyes on me. That made it start making noises again.

My first thought was it was hungry and that we should have asked for something easy to chew and swallow for a baby bird, which I could probably do with my own food. Alyssa's petting of it did calm it a bit but still made a few odd sounds. She encouraged me to do it since she's been doing it a lot, actually most of the day since she took it under her wing, no pun intended. And when I did it the baby chocobo got surprisingly silent. At least that gave my brain time to think.

"So what's been eating at you?" Alyssa suddenly asked. I had to stop touching the chocobo and started staring at her blankly. "It's very obvious. You're either yawning from lack of sleep or staring at the distance."

"Today isn't just my day." I groaned. "Or yesterday."

"What are you talking about? You stepped up and actively fought for the first time. We have a mascot because of you and learned that birds like you."

"It's a one-sided relationship…"

"Not for long." That was surprising statement. She pulled the jacket being used as an impromptu nest away from my grasp and prompted a noisy reaction from the bird, but she pushed it back towards me and it effectively silenced it. To prove a point, she did this a bunch of times and it got annoying the more she did it. I had to hold her arms so she can stop it.

"Okay, the bird likes me. Whoopie…"

Alyssa's shoulders slumped for a moment after my remark. "I thought you learning that you're a parent to a small chocobo might cheer you up."

It might have taken my brain almost a minute to even comprehend what she just said. I initially thought she was mocking me, but then my brain focused on the word 'parent', resulting in a double take between her and the bird. I had to put my face in my hand and groaned. Our food did arrive at that very moment with the little girl serving our respective plates in front of us. Alyssa thanked her and I just added a hum as she slinked away to the back room.

Things just keep get weirder and weirder since I got here. Realities changing, always making sure that I have my story straight, alternating dreams, tickets becoming ominous messages, suddenly becoming a parent to a newly-hatched chocobo…These things are starting to pile up and I'm sure something will eventually screw me over.

"Ominous messages?" I hear Alyssa ask about. I hissed and cursed under my breath. Why do I keep doing this to myself?

I sighed dejectedly. "I guess it's too late to take that back." She nodded. "Alright, let me briefly explain before I prove to you that I'm slowly going crazy…"

So I tried to summarize by beginning with my almost realistic dream flashback back at the cavern that had me very jumpy when I woke up, how it had a different ending to what actually happened. It was still painful to remember that event, and even when I think about it now sends a slight ache up my arm, but the final moments of that dream just confuses me when a certain phrase gets repeated by a foreign voice, one that doesn't belong in the dream. I tell her about the phrase, "Change your fate", which gives me no insight to my current situation or offer no comfort. Which then catches us up to current events…

"And now the crazy part." I start digging in to my pockets. It didn't take long for me to pull out the piece of paper that was formerly my ticket to the Alexandrian play. I look at it briefly, the phrase appearing in bold lettering right before me, before I hand it over to her. "That used to be a detailed invitation about I Want You to be My Canary. You know how tickets are, right? It should have the date, the time, and place. I even remember this one great picture at the back. But now, for some mystifying reason, all of that vanished and was replaced by three words. 'Change your fate'. Everything's been replaced! Was it magic? Is this like the Marauder's Map in Harry Potter? Who knows by now? I have a mystery in my hands and I don't have a suspect or any leads."

As I was busy explaining my side of the story, I didn't notice Alyssa making this very confused expression, her eyes not able to decide whether to stare at me as I made exaggerated gestures or keep looking at the paper she had on hand. When I finally caught myself and saw her making this face, I got concerned.

"What?"

"I don't see what the problem is with this ticket," Alyssa sheepishly said as she presented the paper.

"What do you mean!? What's so hard about seeing a blank piece of paper with only three words—" I grabbed it from her hands in anger and was about to angrily point out the obvious when it was the obvious was pointed out to me.

Instead of only three words, I see that the paper was filled with words I thought have disappeared last night. All I could do was stare at the invitation telling me about the princess' birthday and how it would be an excellent day being topped off by the play and a fireworks display. I turned it around and saw no trace of the enigmatic phrase that haunted my dream.

I shook my head as I slumped against my own chair. "That's it, I am officially insane. Maybe this is my punishment for tricking that noble during the play or for using you as a shield or pushing that soldier off the airship. If I knew insanity was going to be my reward for doing that then I should have never done it…"

"Look," Alyssa reaches over and puts a hand on my cast. "You don't need to show me anything. I believe you. If this paper is showing you some scary message that's threatening you then we'll try to find the source!"

"I would feel better if I have hard evidence." I waved the ticket around, hoping it would change back, but it did not.

"Don't worry. If you can figure out anything about the ticket then that would be your first clue as to why it changed or why you have it."

I shrugged. My other hand started to scoop up some of my food and eat it in an attempt to help my brain think. The hunger was only there to distract me from how stressful this little journey has become. It only made me realize that I was never hungry to begin with, but I did order it and it looks quite healthy. Besides, the chocobo was leaning into the plate I had in front of me so I was somewhat obligated to cut it little pieces of my own food. I would alternate feeding myself and the chocobo with looking back at the ticket, hoping it would prove that I'm not being crazy. Alas, it did not and I only realized it wouldn't when we were already done with our food.

We thanked the two girls for their services, well Alyssa mostly, before we went back to the inn. The little village was silent save for the atmospheric noises the crickets made as well as the occasional breeze and chocobo chirp. Alyssa carried our mascot and its impromptu nest since I didn't have the energy to carry it right now. Who would even have the energy to do anything after what I just saw?

We actually bumped into the innkeeper as he was on his way out. Weird that he's up and about during the night and napping all day. The explanation about his current activity is that he just remembered, after like an hour or so Alyssa and I left for dinner, that all of the beds have been occupied, which was no surprise to me. That's my fault because I didn't reserve a bed. The innkeeper gave us a back-up sleeping bag he had as a way of apologizing for the lack of rooming.

Of course, that leaves us with the incoming traditional argument on who should get the thing we want to use. I have an older sister and I have been through this argument too many times to count. To avoid spending a certain amount of time on a useless argument, I just waved off the innkeeper, thanking him for thinking about his customers and what-not, and went on inside. I was sure I noticed this remorseful look from Alyssa as I passed her.

Everyone in our party was sleeping peacefully, light snores and steady breathing filling our inn room. With no bed and no desire to find a suitable resting spot, I opted for what was the only thing available in the room: the desk at the left with the stool. I silently plopped down on the stool and rested my head on the wooden surface beside what looked like a crystal ball. I stared into it briefly, wondering why this madness was happening to me. It didn't take long for Alyssa to come in into the room.

She walked over to me and placed something in front of my face: A white pillow. It was enough to soften my impromptu sleeping spot. I muttered my thanks to her as she placed the jacket-nest near my head, the hatchling looking over to me as I stared back at it, while she set up her borrowed sleeping bag.

"Are you sure you don't want to use this?" She asked in a low whisper. I grunted in the negative. "You're gonna have some neck problems tomorrow." I made a noise that sounded like 'I know'. "We can share if you want?" Now that I didn't make a noise because I just turned my head to the other side of the room. I heard her sigh and start getting inside the bag.

"Just don't worry too much about the ticket. We'll find answers to it eventually." Alyssa tried to assure me.

"I hope the answers come tomorrow," I replied. She shared the sentiment with a hum.

"Well good night and sweet dreams."

I wrapped my arms around the pillow and groaned silently. "I wish..." I closed my eyes and hoped I would have a dreamless sleep.


	14. Inquiries Aboveground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake's day in Dali.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 13: Inquiries Aboveground…

-Blake-

Turns out, dreaming were the least of my problems that night. Just after a few hours, I woke up to a semi-stiff neck. I figured I'd last longer than just a few hours since I do this at school for more than few hours. I think I set the record for sleeping through the most consecutive classes of all time and nobody has yet to beat it. Yes, I did get in trouble for it, but I at least I had the energy and attention to listen to the lecture I got from my teachers afterwards. And that's the moral of that little lesson.

Anyway, I had to adjust my position multiple times to the traditional bent-over-the-desk position to lying sideways on the pillow to leaning backwards on it (think of it how one would normally sleep in a car). There were a few good times when I almost tumbled off my chair while sleeping. The switch between the three occurred after a few hours after the initial change. I was comfortable with the last position up to until it was already morning despite the few close calls.

Safe to say that I got enough rest at the cost of my neck.

The morning after our arrival in Dali was a stiff one. My eyes fluttered open to the sight of someone from my left moving. If my ears were working properly at that time, I was sure I was hearing a melodic sound from the outside. The sound of feet approaching me made my head turn.

"That's a pretty comfy way of sleeping." The person said with a hint of humor in his voice. I forced my eyes to focus at the mirror in front of me as I sat up straight, yawning and stretching as I did so. Turns out it was Zidane standing behind me and he was referring to my impromptu sleeping quarters.

"I would have camped outside if I thought of it last night," I sardonically commented while I checked my own neck for nerve damage. Thankfully my various position changes helped and it didn't damage my neck. I don't want to have a neck of an 80-year old at the age by the time I'm 25. Since Zidane is out of his bed that must mean that everyone else is up and about. Even Alyssa and that sleeping bag of hers is nowhere to be seen. Guess this must be a good time to get up.

"You going out?" I ask Zidane as I stood up, waking the dark feathered chocobo chick sleeping beside my borrowed pillow. It chirped and flapped its tiny dark wings like it was trying to get my attention. Zidane nodded at my question.

"Yeah. Did you just hear that?" He must be referring to the song Dagger was singing. I know about it, but I'm a bit disoriented at the moment to confirm if I did or not.

"I have a stiff neck, not a pair of broken ears." I craned my neck to the left and right, trying to get the circulation going. "What did you hear?"

"Someone singing…" He trailed off. He's a bit unsure if the voice was familiar or if he was just hearing stuff.

"Well, let's just hope that the face it belongs to is just as lovely as its voice." I said to him. I already know that the face is just as lovely as the voice, but I'm just letting Zidane wonder about it some more. I put the pillow under my right arm and picked up the jacket the hatchling is using as a nest. The innkeeper's going to need his pillow back.

We exited the room together with Zidane's thoughts still going on about the 'mysterious' voice somewhere out there and mine intent on moving my neck every five seconds. The fireplace cracked with the fire started in it as the innkeeper kept his position on his desk like yesterday, napping as if he didn't get a wink of sleep last night. I just placed near his head and silently thanked him before leaving. In the corner of my eye, I saw him move the pillow under his head and sighed in relief.

He may be a spineless, useless waste of skin, but at least he's polite and knows what the customer needs. Kind of. He needs to put another bed or two in there if he wants some more business. But that's the problem here, isn't it. The lack of business. Maybe if they stopped the underground productions and instead used those funds somewhere else, then it would be a lot more useful than making weapons.

"So what's the next step in your kidnapping plan?" I turned to Zidane after we closed the inn doors behind us gently.

"Still working on it," Zidane answered. "Wanna go eat?"

"Not really." I shook my head. "I don't eat breakfast." He tilted his head at my statement.

"You're gonna be hungry before lunch rolls around."

"That's why I wake up around lunch. Or past lunch, in some cases."

"And you get your merchant stuff done how?"

"Not merchant stuff, 'salesman' stuff." I corrected him. "And yes, it's all possible for me to do it in less than ten hours." My cover story is really holding up. It's pretty easy doing it. It's like you're telling someone a story in first person and that you're the character. Reminds me of method acting. "Don't tell me all you do is laze around whatever place you call a hideout and wait for the perfect victim to walk around the corner."

Zidane put a hand under his chin, thinking about what I had just said. "You know, that's not a bad idea." I could tell he was just joking with that growing grin on his face.

"If you do steal my idea, just credit me when you get the chance." I played along, putting on my best smile.

"That's going to be the least of your problems when warrants for your arrest start appearing because of us." Well, thinking about it now, being credited for something illegal when you're not actually doing it kind of makes you an accomplice.

Perhaps his stomach was growling at him so much that he couldn't take it, Zidane walked off towards the small pub being manned by the two girls. I just stood there and let my chuckles subside. Zidane is a pretty cool guy, I can tell you that much. If he was a real guy, I'd probably be friends with him already. Too bad about that little fact that he's an Angel of Death. It would be pretty cool to brag about having a friend like that.

And then somewhere in the air, I heard a forced scream…

Moving on… If my foggy mind and my recovering neck are not affecting my memory, I am sure that we have half a day or so for preparations before the plot kicks back in.

So, I should use this opportunity to get some more sleep. This time I'm going to be on a soft bed. Oh man, just the image of a vacant bed in a time like this with a sore neck is so tantalizing right now. Last night was a pain in the neck. I can make up for that.

But as much as I would love to lay down on something soft, I have to get a few things together. My clothes are a little worse for wear, I don't have much items and I really want to change to a new weapon from this weak knife I have. Might as well do something productive while I have the time, right? And it is a good thing that I conveniently have some money to spend.

I stepped inside the establishment right in front of the inn with the chocobo chick right behind me and looked around. Just like the inn, the space inside was bigger than what the game has lead me to believe. Aside from the space, nothing had seemed to change from what I remember about this shop since I visited yesterday. The lady behind the counter was pouring something into a glass she had, gently maneuvering it with a steady trickle of liquid landing into the glass. There was a lovely scent in the room, which wasn't there last time, something reminiscent of my favorite milk tea flavor. The chocobo kweh'd, probably enjoying the scent.

The shopkeeper looked up at me as I came in and greeted her first – I assume I'm the first to come in today – customer of the day. "Hello, nice to see you again. How may I help you?"

My first business at hand was to ask if she had any clothes on for sale, but aside from the jackets I sold her as well as some pretty simple shirts she had nothing of interest to sell me that would be suitable for travel. So that was done within the first minute. I guess I'll just have to replace my outfit at Lindblum.

If clothes weren't on sale, I instead asked for a replacement for my shoddy knife, the same one I took off a dead Goblin. I was willing to sell it and buy a different weapon since it looked like it was about to give out soon. So I bought a pair of Mage Mashers from her for my troubles. I only needed one, but she insisted to take the pair for a back-up in case I lose one. Pretty forward thinking there, lady. I also bought two satchels so I have a space to put my items. I don't want to group all of my potions, both healing and sleeping, since that would be dangerous.

As I was moving my healing potions to the satchel, one of my other items fell to the floor. A piece of paper actually. I immediately picked it up, thinking that something from my wallet fell out, but on second glance it was one of the sources of my problems. It was supposed to be the ticket, yet it was only three words on one side once again: the mysterious message that was supposed to be my theatrical souvenir from Alexandria.

_Change your fate._

The other day the ticket became this solitary piece and then last night became a ticket again. Now it's back to that stupid, cryptic note! Why is it switching back and forth!? Is it taunting me? Is there something I have to solve to get the meaning out of this thing? Whatever this thing means it has to be important. I can't simply dream about a phrase I have never thought of if it's not important. The answer is out there somewhere…

I place the paper with my items inside my little satchel, take the chocobo's nest off the counter, bid my farewell to the shopkeeper, and steadily depart from shop. As I pulled open the door, I wasn't prepared for what was on the other side since I didn't expect it. I almost headbutted someone as I exited the store. Good thing I was paying attention, because I managed to stop in my tracks and put up my disabled hand on shoulder level to stop her from colliding with me. Both of us were now standing so close to each other that I could see the texture in the pupils looking wide eyed at me.

It was Alyssa.

"Alyssa?" I tried to sound so calm in the midst of being so close to a member of the opposite gender. This happens rarely to me. I don't even stand this close to my own sister. I looked over her shoulder and see Dagger standing there. My eyes went back to the girl in front of me and reminded her, "You should always pay attention to what's in front of you, Alyssa." I stepped to the side and bowed slightly to hide my reddening face, making room for them to pass. "Right this way, girls."

"Thank you." Dagger curtly said as she passed me.

"So, how long have you two been up?" I addressed the question to the overalls-wearing girl and it took a moment for her to answer.

"…Um…I think an hour or so…?" She sounded unsure about that. Makes sense since we don't have watches on us right now. "How was your sleep?"

"Terrible. At least the pillow was comfortable." That was the only thing I said about it and moved on.

Alyssa explained that she's been tagging along with Dagger after they shared breakfast since she didn't know what she should do while waiting for the plot to make the next event happen, as to which I reminded her that she owed me for last night's dinner. That's two people she owes money for food now. She also added that she's helping Dagger blend in with the average non-castle citizens.

"Right, as if any of us are qualified for giving advice." I sarcastically told her. We were standing in the corner of the room, watching Dagger as she tried to make small talk with the shopkeeper while trying not to sound like she's been raised by royalty. My statement earned me a sharp nudge on the side. "Ow! That wasn't necessary, you know?" I hissed at her while I tended to my elbowed side.

"What do you want me to do? I had no idea what to do until Dagger showed up." Alyssa replied as she crossed her arms.

The two of us continued to observe Dagger's conversation with the shopkeeper until they were rudely interrupted by a child running into the store as if he came to report a fire. Of course, this was met with some scolding from the woman behind the counter, but Dagger let the kid talk so she can observe something. So now we were observing an observation. Lovely.

The kid described what I thought was the wildest tale I could have ever heard. It involved the sighting of a man with a straw hat. I doubt Dagger managed to catch on as to what the kid was referring to as he used childish descriptions and constantly let out a stream of words with no possibility of running out. Though he did run out of breath, only to draw in another breath and continue as if he didn't stop. I palmed my face at the kid while the girl beside me could only chuckle. I saw the chick in my arms look at the kid with its head titled slightly to the side. I bet if it had a hand it would do the same thing I was doing.

The kid soon finished his story for the shopkeeper and he excused himself from the store, running out to find the next great big scoop of the century. The shopkeeper could only smile and shake her head. "I'm sorry about that. The children around here are just so…"

"Hyperactive? Easily excited? Annoying?" I tried to finish her sentence, but she had another word in mind.

"…rambunctious," finished the shopkeeper, ignoring the last word I said.

"Oh I don't mind." Dagger said. Yeah, she doesn't mind as long as she can see how other average people converse. "I haven't been into this side of the country, and it is already being quite the experience."

"So you don't travel often?" The girl asked. Alyssa stepped in for Dagger in case she happened to say the phrase 'out of the castle' by accident.

"Yep! It's her first time to explore the world." Thank you, Alyssa. Dagger appreciated that little helpful interruption. With that, she stepped back into the corner with me and allowed the conversation to continue.

"Oh! A first time traveler! I know some handy tips for you, if you don't mind." The two then shared quality dosage of information on what to do in times of emergency when out in the wild or what to do if you are attacked by a Zanghnol when you don't have a weapon. That last one was kind of similar to playing dead when you're defenseless against a bear. Another was how to attract a group of Mus just by doing something that was certainly a mix of a howl and a snort. Weird stuff, but Dagger found it fascinating.

"I appreciate…I mean, thanks." Dagger corrected herself to try to sound like a normal girl.

"You're welcome."

And that concludes that little unseen portion of the Active Time Event that Dagger tries to act normal. The princess then looked around the store when their conversation ended. That led to Zidane coming through the doors and seeing Dagger absently looking at the items on the wall. He must've not noticed us when he approached the girl and looked over her shoulder to follow what it was she was looking at.

I thought that joining them would be funny, and I think Alyssa and I shared the same thought, so we came up behind Zidane and copied their actions. We went for a solid minute copying them, making the shopkeeper give us an odd, yet amused, look until Dagger fully looked over her shoulder and saw the blond thief.

"Zidane? How long have you been there?" Dagger asked, surprised to see him there. Zidane was about to say something when I decided to answer for him.

"He's been like that for some time now." I said, making the Tantalus member whip his head to me.

"When did you get in?" That was Zidane's turn to ask.

"He's been here before me and Dagger got in here." Alyssa responded from the other side of his shoulder. Zidane turned to her now then back to me, making Alyssa giggle slightly.

"Huh, I didn't even notice you guys. You almost scared me."

"You're joking right?" I deadpanned, not believing his words. It got me a grin from him as he responded quite easily.

"Obviously. Nothing scares me, especially in front of the ladies." He confidently stated. I don't doubt that for a second actually. Once he was done with that, he turned back to Dagger and congratulated her for sounding somewhat different than her old self. That followed some talk about the play, something I began to ignore.

Speaking of which, I took one of the satchels I had purchased and handed it to Alyssa. "Here you go. You need a place to put your items in and I thought you'd need one."

The girl in overalls inspected the bag and smiled at me. "Aw, thanks. How thoughtful."

I shrugged. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about her current poor choice in clothing. Then I noticed her glaring at me. "What?" When she didn't answer and continued glaring at me I then looked at the two chatting protagonists. "Is there anything else?"

"Not much really. We're going back to the inn and figure things out from there." Zidane said. "You guys have anything else need doing?" At the mention of that, the chocobo at me feet started 'kwehing' away. Thanks for reminding me.

"Yeah. I have to find something to feed this thing." I replied with a sigh. "And I believe we're missing someone here. I'll go look for the dear captain in case he's up to some shenanigans." Though, it would be hard for me to tag along with the guy. He's not a big fan of criminals, especially ones that have been accused of murdering someone.

"I actually have something else to do." Alyssa spoke up just before Zidane was about to say something. Great, I bet she'll be telling me to stop doing that. "And you know what; I'll go find Vivi so we can all meet up at the inn."

And with that, the princess and her 'kidnapper' went back to the inn to plan their next move while Alyssa and I stood there waving at them until they got inside. Before I could even say anything about what Alyssa and I should do next, I felt a hand slap the back of my head. It apparently wasn't supposed to be very painful, like it was just a tap, but due to my stiff neck it seemed to be more painful.

"OW! Was _that_ necessary!?"

"Blake, you should know that girls don't appreciate it when you make fun of their clothes." Alyssa sternly told me.

"Really? Last time I checked, girls actually have a fashion sense." She feigned another strike, causing me to duck on instinct, but when I looked up upon realizing nothing hit me, she flicked a finger right on my forehead. "Okay, you need to stop doing that! Guys don't appreciate it when girls hit them." Unless it's a comedy show, then it would be okay. But this isn't really a comedy show, isn't it?

"Really? Last time I checked, you deserved it." The girl countered with her hands on her hips.

"Touché." I simply said while I nursed my forehead. "What is it that you need? Does it involve me? I have something to do, and I would love to go do it if I'm not needed for anything right now."

"Actually…" She shuffled in her spot and hooked her hands behind her back like an innocent child. "I need your help."

I adopted a thoughtful stance, but I already knew what it was she needed. "Let me guess. It involves currency." The girl nodded. "Alright, what do you need?"

"I think I need a new sword. Hopefully something lighter than the Pluto Knights' swords." Now that she mentioned it, the sword she's been using seemed too big for her size. Even I have difficulties hoisting up that kind of sword. Whether it was too big or I'm just incapable of lifting one. "Maybe you mean you don't have upper body strength."

"FYI, I do have upper body strength. I just…don't tend to use it that much." I drew in a breath before saying that last phrase. It's true, I swear.

I stepped past the girl and hoped she'd drop the subject before going up to the shopkeeper who has been in the background in the whole time. "Sorry to disturb you again. My friend here needs a lighter sword than this freakishly big one. Do you have one in stock?"

The girl from behind the counter asked for Alyssa's sword first before answering my question. She put it on her hands and lifted it up and down and then put it down on the counter. "I think that short sword over there would be enough." She pointed to our right, making us turn to the collection of weapons on the wall. Alyssa took hold of the very weapon she was directed to and pulled it to her.

"Wow. This one is very light!" Alyssa said as she did a few test swings. "It's almost like one of my fencing swords from back home."

I looked back to the shopkeeper and pulled out my gil pouch. "I believe the girl is satisfied. You may keep the sword, miss. How much would that be?"

After I paid for new weapon, along with a sheath and a belt, Alyssa wanted and sold off her old one, we exited the shop and looked towards the pub. I swear I'm beginning to think that I'm becoming Alyssa's personal bank account with the amount I've spent on her.

Anyway, back to looking at the pub. We both saw Vivi looking up to the windmill in the spot near the building it was on. I really didn't want to disturb Vivi while he was going over why the kids of the village was avoiding him like the plague and what they were referring to when they talk about him. Zidane does that thing and I think I won't be much help if I tried. Better let those more qualified to help him out here.

"Ah…Blake, I'll catch up with you later. You go feed your…uh…weird," She trailed off as she looked at the chocobo resting in its makeshift nest. "You haven't named it yet."

"Hmm… Glad you noticed." I just say to her. To be honest, naming it was the least of my worries. "I'll name it when I'm not busy. Until then, it shall stay nameless!" I said that like I was one of those Roman announcers proclaiming a new law being written or announcing some important factoids.

I proceeded to walk inside the pub and saw the two same girls working behind the counter. The bratty one of the two looked up when the door closed behind me. Her sister looked up once the other one lost interest, which was as soon as I started walking up to them. "Excuse me, but do you happen to have something edible for my friend here?" Slai, the diligent one, was about to ask who my friend was, but she stopped when I picked up the chick and put it on the counter.

Slai then looked like she was unsure about something. She turned to her sister and the two looked at each other as if they were exchanging words telepathically. Must be the 'twin psychic connection' I've been hearing about in regards to twin siblings. Either that or Slai was wondering what she should do while trying to see her sister's reaction.

She eventually went back to me and nodded. "I think we have something. Excuse me for a second." Slai left her station behind the counter and exited the pub. It only took her a minute to get back from where she went to. She arrived with a small object in her hand that oddly looked like misshapen carrot from back home.

"Here you go. It's a Gysahl Pickle. Chocobos like to eat them." Hmm… they probably keep the chocobo food somewhere not very obvious to the others. With an understanding nod, I paid for the food and took it. She also handed me a knife so I could cut the thing into small pieces for easy consumption.

I took a seat on one of the tables and started cutting a piece after putting the chick on the table. I sliced off the small end of it and turned it into smaller pieces until it was small enough for it to be eaten. The chocobo 'kweh'ed happily and started eating. I also requested for some water and a little bowl for it to drink off on.

While I was supervising this, someone clad in armor entered the pub. Lo and behold, it was Captain Steiner. "Oh, good morning captain!" I called over from where I was sitting. I got a surprised glance when he heard my voice. "What brings you here on this fine day?"

"You!" He shouted as he made his way over to me. "What underhanded motive do you have for being in this establishment!?"

I frowned at his instant accusation and muttered, "And good morning to you too, but ignore the fact that I'm just trying to be polite." I sliced some more pieces for the day-old chocobo before pointing the knife nonthreateningly at the knight. "As for 'underhanded motives', I don't have any. I'm just feeding this thing here. What about you? What have you been doing since you woke up?"

The knight eyed me as if I was trying something suspicious, or was about to do something suspicious, but he told me anyway. "I have been trying to search for any adults in the village. I have yet to find any."

"They're probably doing something important somewhere." I turned my back to him and focused on the eating chick on my table, trying to sound uninterested. I believe this is where Steiner will end up helping Slai in her duties until he can get something helpful out of her. Hmm… her sister is nowhere to be found, whatever. I'll just be over here watching it unfold over here.

I see Steiner approach the counter and announce his presence. "Excuse me! I would like to speak to any adult present right away!"

"Talk about subtle." I murmured to my chick. It looked up at the person with the booming voice. I swear I saw it shake its head before going back to its food.

Slai straightened herself and replied to the man, "Um… they're kinda doing something. They're busy at the moment."

Steiner looked around the pub and saw how it was… a little disorganized at the moment. "Would you like some assistance with your work? It seems that you're having difficulties trying to get everything in tip-top shape." I guess Slai's sister isn't much help when she's bored or busy being a brat.

"Hmm…" Slai thought about it for a few seconds. "Well, Marin is busy doing other errands…" She muttered to herself, though that was so audible I could hear it from over where I was sitting. "Maybe some help would be okay."

The knight in front of the counter nodded. He took a sweep of the place, taking mental notes, or I think he was making mental notes, before starting with the first thing he had in mind: forcing me to work.

"What!?" I shouted in disbelief. "You are not making me work!" I pounded my left hand on the table, causing the chocobo on the table and the pickle pieces beside it to bounce, as Steiner stood on the other side. The armor-clad leader of the Knights of Pluto only crossed his arms and stared at me, silently trying to will me in doing his bidding.

Okay, if he thinks that looking at me like that is going to work, then he has another thing coming! I've had many stare downs with my sister, ones that lasted even thirty minutes! Even my parents don't last long to the immovable object known as me when it comes to straining eye contact! You are foolish to believe that such a thing would work on me. I pity the fool who'd come up and try to stare me down and think they'd win. It'd be better if they give up because I won't! My mind shall resist and my will won't succumb!

-FF FF FF-

"All you need to do is organize the items in their respective shelves and drawers…" I can't believe it happened. It finally happened. Someone call Kuja and tell him to cast Ultima on me right now. I've failed… I've failed to resist.

It wasn't fair! He used Slai and turned the tides on me immediately. I mean, who could refuse a little girl looking at you with big, round eyes? Only someone as heartless and bastardly as the game's main antagonist could ever do that. I could've been successful with just Steiner only. Agh… there's nothing I can do now.

Slai gave me a piece of paper with the list of items I needed to organize and started to walk out of the room. "I'll look after your chick." She said with a smile. I took a peek over the counter and saw the little chick look at me before Slai started to pet it and encourage it to drink some water.

Eventually I have to name that thing. Maybe I'll think of a name as I work. Steiner's already started with some of the things at the back. I could even hear him grunt and move some of the things there. I guess I should get started now if I ever hope to finish.

Let's see… The items on Slai's list looked like the usual items used by travelers and adventurers: potions, ethers, tents, eye drops, etcetera, etcetera. She also wrote down in which drawers and shelves I had to move the items. That's very helpful. I looked at the spot near the counter and saw boxes sitting side by side. With a sigh, I knelt down and started opening the boxes.

To be honest, the task is very simple. You take as many items you can, place them in their respective drawer or shelf, and then repeat. But make sure that it's organized or that would beat the very purpose of the word 'organize'. I think Slai saw the cast and thought that something easy such as this would be enough for me to do. Maybe I'll thank her for being reasonable, unlike some knight I know.

The task assigned to me took more time than I initially thought. I predicted that I was going to be done in fifteen minutes, but I was proved wrong when Steiner brought some boxes with him from the back. That added another round of fifteen minutes to my time. In that overall time, I think my arms were about to fall off. Maybe I was exaggerating, but let me say that I am not a frequent worker. I don't do anything that needs me to exert myself if it's possible. I'm more of a laidback and let-everyone-else-do-the-work kind of guy.

After I pushed the last tent into the space underneath the counter, I sighed and decided to proclaim my duties as done. "I think that's all of them."

Slai stood up from the table and came to inspect my work. She nodded after a few seconds of looking. "Thank you for your hard work."

The little girl then went and took a few hi-potions from the counter I had put them in. I was about to say that I had done my best in making them look highly presentable and organized, but Slai surprised me by putting the potions into my arms. "What the…?"

She didn't even answer me as she went back to her station. Okay… You know what, I will not complain about this. I'll just take it as a 'thank you' gift. I made my way to my table and discovered that the chick had been sleeping. Well, I'm pretty tired myself and Steiner's still busy doing some work. Might as well rest.

"Firewood stacking duties are complete!" Just as I was going to lay my head on the table, out comes Steiner booming with no indoor voice. "I await your command!" He really needs to relax.

"It's my job to clean the bar. Why are you and your friend doing all this?" Slai asked. She had already taken her place behind the counter once again, making sure everything would be ready.

"I apologize in the behalf of the captain here." I spoke up and stood beside Steiner after picking up my little pet. "He's a very capable and dutiful knight. Sometimes he doesn't know when to be normal." I could feel someone burning a hole into the side of my head as soon as I said that.

"Well, now that you have the time, would you introduce me to some adults, like your father?" Steiner inquired. Why does that sound a bit awkward to my ears?

Slai paused for a second, probably currently contemplating whether to answer honestly or not. "My father won't be back until nightfall. All the other men are also working. They don't come here during the day."

"Sounds like your kind of people, eh Captain?" I said. Steiner only crossed his arms and ignored my statement while Slai went back to work.

"Pubs are supposed to be a prime source of information…" He mumbled to himself as he tried to think of something. Then he went back to the counter and talked to the girl again. "I need not to ask an adult. Let me ask you a question! I need to know about what transportation method people use in this village. I cannot tell you the reason, but there is someone I must escort to the castle."

That caught the girl's attention as she stopped whatever she was doing and faced us. She asked us if we were from Alexandria Castle.

"Indeed!" Both of us replied. I just joined in because it seemed like fun, but judging from the look Steiner was giving me he didn't like what I was doing. "I command the queen's Knights of Pluto! I am Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Knights of Pluto!"

"Is your friend also on the same boat?" She asked, pointing to me. The moment she said boat my brain immediately went on a funny tangent that my mouth didn't stop broadcasting.

"And I'm the one he's supposed to escort. Vice Admiral of the Alexandrian Naval Fleet, Blake Skylark, at your service." Perhaps it was my nonchalant voice that made Slai a bit hesitant to accept what I said to be true or maybe it was Steiner looking like he was going to blow a gasket. I tried to add something that will hopefully not make my lie spread. "But don't tell anyone I was here. We were just finished with a secret mission. Black Ops kind of stuff. I've already said too much."

Boy, I bet Steiner is going to be so pissed with me after this.

Slai's contemplation period ended after a few silent moments. "Well, if you two are from the castle, I guess it's okay to tell you." She then proceeded to give us instructions to an observatory somewhere not too far just outside the village where an old man with the name of Morrid lives who handles the cargo ship business.

Pleased with the new information he had received, Steiner saluted and thanked the girl and took the chocobo that was finished with its pickles before leaving, and dragging me out in the process. I heard Slai thank us for our help before the door closed behind us. The dragging didn't stop until we were well past the tiny farm. When I managed to straighten myself, I saw the deadly glare the knight was giving me, making me shudder.

"I am so going to be hanged…" I muttered.

"You have made a mockery of the Alexandrian Naval Fleet! You dare impersonate an important officer of the fleet!" He yelled at me, jumping in the air in disbelief a few times.

"So there IS a naval fleet." I said to myself quietly, turning my back to the angry knight. "That kind of makes sense, but they're kind of irrelevant since nothing happens in the Continent's waters." I think the only times I've seen something that looked like a naval fleet from Alexandria is that one scene in the docks after Lindblum is in shambles and the ending of Disc 2, with the latter really showing how bad the fleet was. Looking back on that, it is kind of unfair that I came to that conclusion since the thing the fleet fought was Bahamut. But I guess that will still go on their track record—

"HOW DARE YOU!?" I almost jumped a few feet when Steiner's booming voice almost broke my ear drum.

"Now, now, let's just calm down." I tried to say.

"Nobody makes a mockery of the kingdom of Alexandria in my presence! To think you are just a harmless merchant." He shook his hands as he said this.

"It's 'salesman', not merchant." I corrected him. How can I make what I said there excusable? There's got to be a reason why that little girl trusted Steiner upon his introduction…I know! "And c'mon Captain, I didn't lie to the girl haphazardly. I have my reasons."

"I will not stand for this!"

"Then how about you sit down for a second and listen." I sighed. "Did you notice how she changed her tune from 'the adults don't come here until nightfall' to 'I might be able to tell you something' when you said you were from the castle? She wouldn't have told us anything if neither of us if you haven't said that. I only said those things in order to get her trust. And since I'm not from Alexandria, I think it's reasonable that I lied."

"That…That makes sense." That was all Steiner had to say. "Still, I condone all trickery and deception. If ever the princess may fall victim to one of your tricks, I will be sure to deliver swift justice. Understood?"

"Yes, your majesty..." I sarcastically replied, getting me another glare from him. "I mean sir! Yes, sir! Don't hit me in the face!"

Satisfied that he had gotten me straight, he then started walking towards the observatory. Okay, I may need to steer away all future lies from Dagger if I value my life. Though, I've been lying to her already ever since I told my cover story. Does that still count? Maybe it doesn't. So that means I'm the clear…? Maybe…

Now I'm just hoping that he would be the last one to catch wind of me or Alyssa lying. It's evident that Steiner highly dislikes anyone who puts the princess in constant danger and/or people who use her. If I get caught, I'd honor my promise and receive my punishment… by running the hell away from. If Alyssa gets caught, well, I'll run away, change my name and move to the Lost Continent for good measure; that is if I don't wake up from this dream. I do not want to be on the business end of Steiner's blade.

Throughout all of my mental ramblings, I didn't notice Steiner had already put a hefty distance between me and him.

"Hey wait!" I had to run up to him to catch up, careful not to drop my chick from my hand. "Mind if I…accompany you to this…observatory?" I managed to breathe out the words once I caught up.

He briefly looked down on me and then shook his head. "Fine, but no more lies!" With that, he continued walking. I was only a few feet behind him as I waited for my chocobo to catch up before picking it up again. After that we made our way to where the old man in charge of the cargo ships was located.

It was an uneventful walk, thankfully. I didn't know how I may have defended myself against a Python or a Goblin with a chick in my arms, though the method of pushing Steiner towards them and hightailing it to the observatory was very tempting if that may happen, but I believe I'm far enough in his bad side to know that I shouldn't aggravate him further. A few good deeds for the captain here and there would probably win me some positive points for my knight karma.

When we did reach our destination, we came across the old man's small hut at the base of the building. I volunteered to inspect the building first, with loud protests from Steiner that I was breaking and entering, only to be ignored by me. After opening the door slightly, I only found a kettle put under a small fire on a stove, a small replica of an airship and no old man.

"No sighting of Mr. Morrid, The Cargo Ship Handler." I reported to the knight. The wind decided to pick up, forcing me to cover my eyes a bit when dust blew my way.

"Perhaps he's up there." He gestured to the top of the observatory.

Looking up, the only thought that occurred to me is that looked like a lot of effort to talk to an old man. Then I heard something make a sound somewhere. A sound like clothes getting caught up in the wind. And then I heard a single step being made to my right. When I turned, nothing was there. Strange. I could have sworn someone was out here with us.

"I will look for him at the top of the observatory. You stay here in case he arrives here. Do not touch anything." Steiner then turns to exit the room and begin his trek up the long series of steps to the top of the observatory.

I took a seat on one of the chairs and sighed. I really need to pay attention. I honestly swear that I heard something moving around the two of us. The only people around the area are me, Steiner and Morrid, who was way high up in terms of altitude. There couldn't be any other people around… unless I'm hallucinating.

"Do you think I'm hallucinating?" I ask the chocobo before putting it down on the counter. It only kweh'd in response and looked around absently. "Why am I even asking you? You don't even know what I'm talking about." Hell, I think it barely understands English. This is what I get for trying to talk to small birds with dark feathers.

With another sigh, I hung my head. Hmm… aside from me not naming it yet, I have yet to know its actual gender is. Now, I am not a registered expert on the biology of birds, especially chocobos, but I fear that if I want to know what this thing's gender is I might do something that would get me hated by the bird loving society of the Mist Continent. I might as well wait for Lindblum to consult an expert. Plus, I could also get it checked up if it needs anything special or something.

Hearing the chirps of my little chocobo made me turn my head towards it. I sighed, thinking that it probably didn't have enough of the pickle I fed it earlier. Weirdly enough, I felt a bit dizzy when I took in a breath. It was like the air was thin and I was out of breath. It probably was the walk out here as well as the hard work I did for Slai under the captain's orders. Anyways, it took me long enough that it wasn't trying to get my attention but was making noises towards something else. Curious, I looked at the thing that had its attention and saw something out of the little building's window.

It was a person in a brown cloak. Their face was hidden by the hood it wore and it felt like it was looking at me through the glass. And it was pointing at me!

In a panic, I pulled out my new dagger and pointed it at the figure as it slowly made its way to the door. When did Final Fantasy include a horror movie killer? This wasn't in the game! There is no record of anyone stalking you menacingly in any guide or recorded video of Final Fantasy IX! Even if there was I would have known and desperately tried to avoid that scenario! I knew I should have taken my time and slept in today!

"Stay back!" I shouted. If it thought I was even slightly able to defend myself it surely didn't show when my hands were quivering. The dagger did not deter it from moving forward taking its sweet time with one step at a time.

Why is it even coming for me!? I do not have anything important on me and I'm pretty sure I am very unimportant to the plot. To any other person in this world I am just some guy with a cast travelling with a group of other uninteresting individuals at first glance. Whoever sent this person probably has gone out of their way to aim for someone like me. And if it wants something it would not want anything to happen to that thing, the same thing how the Black Waltzes don't want to harm Dagger in a fight.

God, I hope this works…

"You take one more step," I pulled back the knife and set it against my neck, "then you're going to see me bleed out before you can take me anywhere!"

Its movement stopped. It definitely wanted to take me somewhere or had business with me. Either way, a dead Blake Skylark was not in its objectives.

Its hands slowly started going up for some reason. It may be trying to gesture its surrender or for me to calm down, but I was not in the mood to take any chances.

"Put your hands down or you will see blood from wall to wall!"

Despite my threats, its hands still continued and touched on its hood. In one fluid motion, before I could shout again, it pulled back its hood to reveal that a woman who had graying hair tied down to a bun was the one acting like some horror movie antagonist, which matches with her battered attire and mysterious arrival. Now that she had put down the hood I felt that I'm looking at someone familiar. I am pretty sure I can only count the amount of elderly people in one hand. Whoever this is, she better than a solid reason why she was creeping around outside.

"Hello there, young man." She spoke with such a gentle voice that it did not match with her earlier approach. "It has been a while since we've last seen each other." So we have met. "Indeed we have."

"Who are you?" I asked, not bothering to lower my dagger in case she makes any sudden moves.

"I can assure you that I mean you no harm. Please, lower your weapon from your neck." She may have said the magic word and may looked like if my mom is fifteen years older, but the circumstances of our meeting here makes me uneager to trust her. So I told her I would rather not take any chances. "Very well. Though I would like to ask, how was the play?"

"The play?" I repeated, surprised by her random question.

" _I Want to be Your Canary_ , the play for the princess' birthday. I assumed you watched it since I gave you the ticket."

If her request for me to down my dagger didn't work then reminding me who gave me that damned ticket sure did work. Instead of it being pressed by my neck, I pointed it at her in anger. "You! I can't believe I forgot all about you! You're the source of my problems right now, lady!"

"Excuse me?" She tilted her head in confusion.

I can't believe this is happening. This woman is surely feigning ignorance! I then proceeded to shout as I dug into my pocket for that cursed ticket. "Don't give me that crap! You're trying to send me a message, trying to make me worry about something mysterious to catch me off-guard!? And the play was great, decent actors and acting."

"That is good to hear. I have seen the play too many times to even count. All of them incredible." Of all the things she latched on to it had to be the irrelevant part.

"But that's beside the point! I asked you a question. Who are you? How did you get here? What was up with trying to scare me earlier?" She put up her hands and gestured for me to calm down.

"One question at a time, my child." The woman said. Oh I have a lot of questions, lady, questions that you're going to answer right now.

"Oh, don't you 'my child' me. Those are terms of endearment, and people who use terms of endearment on people they barely know mean that something very wrong is going to happen soon."

"Please, let me explain…" She then became silent. The only sound that was made was the wind whistling into the room and the fluttering sound of her coat against the wind.

"Well?" A chirp from my chocobo added some much needed punctuation on that statement.

"Oh, I thought you were going to interrupt me again." Either she was stalling or just trying to break the ice, I don't know. I can't be too comfortable being in the same room with a person I don't know. "It brings me absolute joy that you are safe from your journey."

I didn't move from my position and kept the dagger up as I scanned the lady in front of me. She's suspicious, very suspicious. How could an elderly person such as herself travel from Alexandria all alone? Sure, she had a day or so head start than our group and that we crashed in Evil Forest, but still she's been traveling alone and seems to have not encountered monsters on her way. Another weird thing is that she it doesn't look like she has a weapon on her. Now that's even stranger…

"I'm glad someone out here cares about my wellbeing." I replied cautiously. "Nearly froze to the death in the cavern and rescued this thing's previous owner. I'm a father now apparently."

She clapped her hands together, looking overjoyed to hear that last detail. "Congratulations! I hope the little chocobo grows up healthy and strong." Why is she acting like this? It's a bird! I'm not its real, biological father. "Also, I'm glad you enjoyed the play."

"Yeah? You should have been there. The play bombed, like literally it got bombed. I nearly died there too!"

"I'm so sorry to hear that." She said, now looking the part of an empathizing lady. After a solemn few seconds, since I was too confused at her act and was trying to think of a way to get answers, she spoke up again. "So, do you have an answer to my question the first time we met?" An answer? What did she ask anyway?

" _Answer me this the next time we meet. What are you looking for_?"

Oh yes, that little riddle she said to me after she handed me that ticket. I haven't really thought about it much just yet. Everything that's happened just took my attention away from a single sentence that was wrapped in mystery inside an enigma tossed down the rabbit's hole of madness. But I have a riddle of my own.

"No," I started digging into my pocket while keeping my eye on her. "But I do have a question of my own." Then I pulled out the altered ticket. "Just what about my fate should I change!?"

I expected to see an expression of shock on her face after I show to her, but her face just remained neutral, staring at me as if waiting for the big surprise. I blinked. She just looked at me like that for a moment while I waited for the proper reaction. I repeated my last statement in the same tone, hoping that would, at least, elicit the response I wanted.

"I believe you are mistaken." The woman broke the silence and reached out a hand. I took a step back to avoid her, but she already had her hand around my wrist.

"What?" I managed to say as I took another step backwards. Why isn't she reacting in surprise? This should be the part where she tells me how I can go about in changing my fate and whatever this message means.

"This," She then took the paper and turned it to me. "…is just a ticket." When I turned my eyes to the paper, the sight made my jaw tighten. I saw the phrase _'I Want to be Your Canary_ ' it written near the top and something about me being invited to watch, no longer was the phrase ' _Change your fate…_ ' solely on it anymore.

"Wh-What?" I snatched the paper that was once again a ticket from her hand and inspected it closely. It certainly is a ticket again like when I showed it to Alyssa last night, but how did that happen? I flipped it to its back, only to see no evidence that the phrase was ever there. I snapped my gaze to the woman and asked. "Damn it, it did it again!"

"Again? Well that seems to be quite the conundrum." The elderly lady casually responded. "I thought you were losing your mind when you showed me the ticket, expecting something grand from me."

No, I'm not losing my mind. I'm completely sane! I swear that this didn't look like this the last time I looked at it! It plainly had that phrase on it clear as day. This wasn't a ticket, but a message! A mysterious message meant for me. Was it…?

"It's clearly there! This didn't look like a ticket a few minutes ago." My chocobo chirped a few times, probably trying to say that it believes me. I have no idea really.

"Perhaps next time you should try sleeping in a much more comfortable fashion." Her remark made me stiffen. How did she know that? The only people who know that are the people I shared a room with. Unless…

"…You've been spying on me?"

"I would have put it in a much subtler phrase, but I know of the struggles you have come up against." She solemnly admitted…in a way.

"So you HAVE been spying on me!"

She put up a hand to calm me down, but it failed. "There is no need to shout. If you want to put it that way, then yes. I have been spying on you." She took a few steps towards me some more and leveled herself so I even with her gray eyes. "Not because I have ulterior motives, but because I can help you."

"Help me?" Unless she's handing out free scholarships to a sword fighting school or mend my broken arm, then she can't help me.

The lady merely nodded. "Yes."

"Just who are you?" I asked with a quizzical look aimed at her.

"I am Meguro." She answered. Finally, I have a name to identify that tattered brown coat, tied-up white hair and dull gray eyes. "You should have already known who I am right after you have arrived to watch the play."

Already known…? Oh, for the love of… Of course I should have known! Her name was on the damn chair I was sitting on. It reserved for her after all. Damn me and my memory.

"It is okay." She offered me a smile that reminded me of my grandmother. Odd…

Then I heard a familiar knight's armor making noise that started to come closer from above. I took a step at the window for a moment and looked to see Steiner continually bugging Morrid to give him some information in regards to the cargo ship. Damn… I got so tied up on this woman that I almost forgot about those two.

"It seems my time here has been cut short. Before I make my exit, I must tell you that this exchange must never be brought to your friends' awareness, unless you desire unwanted attention. I would have offered you more explanations, but maybe next time will suffice." I heard her say as she approached the door. "Until then…"

"What? What do you mean 'until then'?" I went to grab at her hand, but she was too fast and had shut the door in front of me. I instantly took the knob and opened it, only to see no sign of a brown cloak or an elderly woman around, only the sight of Steiner and Morrid walking towards the hut.

What!? How in the hell–!? She's gone! She could have not just vanished like that. She Batman'd me, dammit! How did she do that in broad daylight!? Now I'm nowhere closer to having some of my questions answered except now I have name to go for and that she's spying on me. This actually just adds more questions, more than the ones I have failed to ask. Questions like 'how is she spying on me?', 'did she know that I needed a ticket before we met?', 'how long has she been spying on me?', 'why can't I tell the others, especially Alyssa?' and 'what does she mean by she can help me?'

Man, this is all making my head hurt, and my head doesn't hurt often.

Agh… Okay, top thinking about this for a second pay attention for a few minutes. Morrid is already looking at me funny for being in his house. Steiner was pretty much demanding Morrid to fork over as much information as he can with the old man just shrugging off his advances like a flicking off an ant on your arm. I just stood off to the side near the chocobo as Morrid was pouring coffee into his own cup. Seeing Steiner trying desperately, and failing, to get what he wanted out of the old man made me snap out of my thoughts and decided that I should get this going as fast as I can.

"I apologize for my friend here and his lack of subtlety," I spoke up from the door, making Morrid and Steiner look at me. Steiner was more like trying to burn a hole into my head with the look he's making. "But we would appreciate it very much if you can tell us something about the cargo ship."

Morrid looked me over for a brief moment before taking a sip of his coffee. "Now why can't you be more like him? People aren't so kind nowadays." He said to Steiner and shook his head. I was sure he was growling at me just for that. "Very well. The cargo ship is loading up and is heading for Alexandria."

"Thank you, sir." I said as I tried to drag the captain out of the house before he started shouting at me.

"Hey," I heard Morrid say, halting me in my tracks. "You're a weird kid, but you're nice and polite. How about some coffee before you head on out?"

You know what, a hot drink may help me calm down after a stressful few days. So I nodded and was handed a mug, which was shortly filled just halfway with coffee, a request I asked since Steiner is going to want to rush out to the cargo ship. Perhaps he's learned of the captain's tendency to rush after just a few minutes with him as the coffee he poured into the mug wasn't scalding hot but just right. I finished the mug in two minutes.

"Thank you, sir." I said to Morrid, feeling just a bit better, as I put down the mug in his sink and retrieved the chocobo. And with that we made our way over to the vehicle that was going to send us to Lindblum. I didn't hear what he was saying to me as he passed me because my mind was still on the enigmatic woman I had talked to. She just up and appeared from out of nowhere, then verbally circles around me and then vanishes. I guess this mystery runs deeper into the rabbit hole than I thought.

I walk up to the captain just as he notices something strange about the ground near the cargo ship. "Hey, wait!" I shouted after him once I noticed that he had bolted towards the ship. Of course, running after him, who seemed to be a bit faster than me even with all of that metal on him, was more of a challenge for me. I did catch up to him, however, with my lungs on fire and me bent over my knees as I tried to breathe in as much air as I could.

Steiner had already circled around the huge barrel that stood over him when I got there "…be shipping out from this village?" He was asking nobody in particular.

And then the barrel moved. It more of like shook once before standing erect once again.

"Did I just see that barrel move?" Steiner turned his head to me and then back to the barrel.

"I saw it too…" I managed after I evened out my breathing. I went to the other side of the barrel to inspect it more, but I already knew what it had inside. There were four people inside: one blond thief, one royal princess, one black mage, and one oddly dressed girl.

"Let's see…should I poke it…?" Steiner wondered to himself as he drew his broadsword. That was my cue to interfere. We don't want to have an impaled princess on our hands now, don't we? Even if the game made sure that nobody was hurt, just traumatized, it still would do us good if I stopped him from doing that.

"No! Let's not do—" As I was about to respond to Steiner's absent-minded suggestion, I was stopped by a sudden tightening feeling in my chest. I gasped involuntarily and fell to one knee, the sudden breathing difficulty made me drop the jacket where the chocobo was in. My good hand went up to my chest as I tried to breathe, but no matter how much I tried I wasn't getting any into my lungs.

This again…? The last time this happened was when we all got out of Evil Forest. Am I sick? Did I catch something? Maybe it's a side effect from the plant virus...

Then the dizziness came because of the lack of oxygen. I could hear a faint chirp coming into my ears as I squinted and tried to focus. I think I also heard a sword being sheathed.

Just as a few metallic footsteps came behind me, the feeling started to go away, though it was slightly slower than last time. I took in some air and made sure that it didn't go down the wrong pipe.

"What are you doing? This is no time to be lollygagging!" Steiner said upon finding me on my knee.

"Sorry…" I tried to sound normal, but I came off breathless instead. I absently coughed before straightening myself. "I thought…I saw a something odd."

Okay, at least I'm fine now. Deep breaths, Blake, deep breaths. This might be coming from that stressful talk with that lady. I think I need to go see a doctor, one that's an expert in plant viruses.

The barrel jumped once again, but this time it landed off on its side, almost flattening me and Steiner. We barely got out of its way before that happened though. The top came off upon impact, giving us an opportunity to peek inside. When we did look into the dark inside of the barrel, we heard something open inside and something crawling out.

A girl in overalls then jumped out and almost tackled me. She took me by surprise so much that she made me fall back on my butt.

"Wh-What is the meaning of this!?" Steiner demanded when he saw Zidane crawl out after Alyssa. As Alyssa and Zidane were helping the others get out of that barrel, with the only remaining people inside being Dagger and Vivi, I looked back on what had happened to me just now.

It happened to me again. Just when I thought that it would only be a one-time thing, thus adding to my ever growing list of problems. Now I think I have an unknown condition because of something I don't know, a woman in a brown coat supposedly spying on me, an unconfirmed theory, an adventure I had joined in with me knowing the outcome of it, and the upcoming boss fight among other things. Man do I have a lot on my plate.

Now I'm wondering how Alyssa's day went. It couldn't have been way better than mine.


	15. ...And Dangers Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, what was Alyssa doing on the same day?

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 14: …And Dangers Underground

-Alyssa-

_A violent rumbling came from the other room. Nights like this were usually quiet. But this was different._

_Only in a panic was she sent away and allowed to have her feet move, leading her to the door in the back of the kitchen. Running down the steps revealed by the door and rushing into the dark depths of the room below where she found a tiny space at the far side of the room. Without hesitation she squeezed herself in and held her breath. Time passed, she eventually let herself breathe cautiously, holding them when she would hear a noise nearby. Afraid, lonely, and trapped, all she could do was wait until they came down to get her._

\- FF FF FF -

What do you do when you wake up early in the morning in a world you don't belong in? I dunno. I really don't know what I should be doing right now.

Everyone has it easy that they all have something to do while we wait for the next plot-related event to come and happen while I don't know what to do with myself. Dagger is probably wondering how she will be able to properly act like an average girl during her stay here, Vivi is staring awestruck at the windmill or heavily thinking about some stuff, Steiner is looking for a way to get the princess back to Alexandria, all the while Zidane and Blake are still sleeping (though I wonder how he could even sleep at such a position).

Me? I'm sitting inside the place where Blake and I ate dinner last night, all lonely with nothing to do. I think it's a bar, but it's so empty that it doesn't feel like one.

Maybe I should get something to eat to calm my nerves, probably some pancakes or scrambled eggs – er, on second thought, I'll not have scrambled eggs. Maybe I can get a new sword? Replace this one I took from the Pluto Knights (if I ever see them again, I'll apologize for taking it) for a new one, one that's lighter and easy to carry around with one hand. I'm pretty sure my little arms can't hold on to this huge sword properly in a long fight.

The problem with those two suggestions is that I need money, a luxury that I clearly don't have.

Maybe I should have thought of this clearly before I got up earlier.

I woke up earlier to the sound of armor clanking together in a fit of panic. I thought it was just Steiner putting on his armor, but this one sounded like he was jumping up and down. When I turned around from inside the sleeping bag the innkeeper let me borrow, he was panicking over the bed near me, which was being used by Dagger.

Apparently Dagger was an early riser and had left to do something we both didn't know. He was stressing about this so hard that he looked like he was about to pop a very important blood vessel. This was so loud that Zidane, in a brief moment of drowsy annoyance, threw a pillow at him.

"First of, please tone it down. You don't want Master Vivi to wake up grumpy." I remember telling him, emphasizing his respect to the black mage, all in a hushed tone. "Second, I'm sure she's in no danger. Just a plain walk around the village, you know, to see what's around here." She obviously doesn't need someone always looking over her shoulder. "Just don't worry about it…" I yawned again and plopped back down to the floor.

I tried going back to sleep, but the whole conversation with Steiner, who left at that point, made me wide awake. With no intention to sleep, I got up, straightened up my clothes and rolled up the sleeping bag before exiting the room. I placed the sleeping bag on the chair of the innkeeper since he wasn't there yet before leaving the inn.

The sun was already up in the sky when I came out. If this was Earth, I would guess that the time right then would be 8 AM. But that was about an hour ago. And I don't even know how long I've been in here sitting down as Slai and Marin, or mostly Slai, was fixing the place up to begin the day.

I requested for a glass of water, which thankfully was free, as I tried to think of what to do next. Maybe I should take note of what's going to happen next. Yeah, that's something, plus it kinda is more productive than just sitting around waiting for the plot to pick itself up.

I placed the glass of water directly in front of me and looked at the table I was occupying. There's a salt and pepper shaker in the middle with a bunch of tissue, which seemed a bit harder than normal tissue. I took all of them and put them in certain places on the table to point out where in the story we were.

After folding the tissue into smaller squares all except for one, I put it to my left alongside the salt shaker. The square tissues are us and the salt shaker is the village of Dali. Okay, so this is where we are right now. Right now, I'm at the waiting portion of the event in Dali, but soon it'll pick up once Vivi gets kidnapped.

…Should I stop Vivi from getting taken? I mean, sure that would probably halt us from going underground and seeing the barrels with the familiar symbols, but would it be better if Vivi doesn't get kidnapped? He's the only reason we go down there and I don't think I can fake some information about the storage facility all on my own. I need Blake for that. He's much better at lying than me. Argh…I'll think about this later.

It's going to take us a while, but soon we're going to get on one of the cargo ships they use around here, which is symbolized by the last tissue paper that's folded into a rectangle, to get Lindblum, symbolized by the pepper shaker. But before that we have to uncover the secret of the village and face Black Waltz No. 2, represented by some pepper I sprinkled on the table.

Thinking about Black Waltzes sent shivers down my spine out of anxiousness and from the cold experience the last time I encountered one. Zidane and I were barely able to make it out of the first fight alive, all because of the thief. I just don't want to think about how I would've died in that fight. Brrrr…

Following that fight, we get on the cargo ship and fly to our destination while fending off the third Black Waltz. I do think that Black Waltz No.3 is the perfect manufactured black mage by Alexandria and I'm thankful that he's the last one. I swear, the first time played FFIX I was so unprepared that it took me awhile to get past him.

I don't even know how to prepare myself for fights like those. One's gonna be extra fast and pretty much untouchable and the other is really powerful with magic. Blake should be here and help think of a plan for the upcoming boss fights. He's mostly the one who…figures things…out…

_I've played through this part numerous times. You've played it only three times. I know what's going to happen here._

I really don't need to depend on him to plot out how the fights go. You know what? I'll think of a plan of my own! Judging from how he handled that fight with the Plant Brain, he's going to have a crazy plan that wouldn't be safe for the others. How can he even suggest such a plan that needed the group to be in bad condition? Didn't he know that Blank comes in after a set period of time in the game, not just because Zidane or the others are almost dying. He should've known or else he wouldn't have done what he did.

He may think that this is just a wild dream he's making up, but I believe that what's happening right now is real, and that means the things and the people here are real too. Whether he believes that this place is real or not doesn't matter, we're here with living people now. We shouldn't endanger their lives because the game does it. No, that's not going to happen. Not on my watch.

Looking back at the whole landscape of things that I put together, I just remembered the Festival of the Hunt and after that the siege of Burmecia, represented by a small amount of salt and the glass of water respectively. And while that's happening, Dagger and Steiner goes back home only to be taken in captivity. That where the party splits into two. What should Blake and I do, split up too…?

"You seem to be deep in thought."

I nearly jumped a few feet when I heard a voice sneak up on me, making me hit the table with my knees that almost sent it toppling over. I was able to hold it still, but the contents of the table, including the shakers and the glass of water, crashed to the floor and shattered. The sound instantly summoned Slai and Marin, who both gaped at the mess I made.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" I apologized to the two kids. "I'm so sorry! I'll pay for it! I swear I will!" I repeatedly begged for forgiveness as the two girls, bowing up and down continuously until one of them spoke up.

After the initial shock has been shaken off, Slai said, "Don't worry. We'll just clean this up." She urged her sister, who sighed annoyingly, to follow her and get some brooms and a mop. Then I felt a gloved hand land on my shoulder. I looked over and see Dagger standing behind me. Okay, so she isn't in the field. She probably witnessed all that.

"Dagger! How long have you been there?"

"I just got in." The princess replied. "I saw you were in such a focused state that I thought you were troubled, and I might have surprised you a bit." A bit? You almost gave me a heart attack. "I apologize…er… I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Oh no, it's no big deal." I told her, waving my hands in embarrassment. "I'm sometimes jumpy in the morning." The two of us took a seat somewhere away from the scene of the crime. I was sure that Marin was complaining under her breath about cleaning up someone's mess, making me feel guiltier.

"What were you thinking about so hard earlier?" Dagger's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, making me stare at her briefly before her message was finally understood.

"Uh…just thinking about some…stuff…" That was great, Alyssa. Maybe you should try practicing your lying in front of a mirror. "You know…it's weird that I'm out here with people I didn't expect to be with...I just didn't see myself being out here doing…things…"

"To be quite honest, it was not in my wildest expectations…um…I didn't expect it too. I thought that being kidnapped would have been simple, but that changed." She said looking at her hands intently. "Not that I expected it to be easy. From the way my mother tried to stop the ship I thought that I wouldn't reach Lindblum at all."

Oh, I should try and play stupid here. We don't want anyone to catch on that I know some stuff they don't. "How do you actually plan on getting to Lindblum now?"

Dagger adopted a thoughtful expression and said, "I am not yet sure." She stayed like that for a while, perhaps hoping that an idea would pop into her head and give her an "Aha!" moment. It didn't happen, so I tried to segue into another subject.

"Well, maybe some breakfast would help you think." I suggested. "It is the most important meal of the day." I am so tempted on continuing that with a lyric. Must resist! Forgive me, Gary.

"Oh, yes." She stood up and began to approach the counter until she noticed something. "You're not hungry?"

"Uhm… I'm kinda short on cash at the moment." I chuckled embarrassingly. "I was gonna borrow some from Blake, but he's asleep at the moment." At that point, I stood up headed for the door. "But don't let me stop you. I'll just…uh…take a look around the village or somethin'."

Before I could get anywhere, I feel a gloved hand take hold of my arm. "Join me, I insist." Dagger spoke as I turned my head. I can't just decline a princess's offer, especially if its breakfast, even more especially since this is a once in a lifetime thing. Plus, she's paying. Without even thinking about it, I nodded and followed her to the counter.

So, I spent breakfast with Dagger. Again, this is a once in a lifetime deal and that makes it feel rather weird since Dagger is a fictional character from a game and a princess. This made me a bit nervous. I don't know if I should watch my manners since I'm eating with royalty, and you know how people of royalty get when it comes to table manners.

Okay, now I'm just being paranoid. Dagger isn't like most nobles or those royalty types. But it doesn't hurt to be careful.

The two of us ordered some pancakes, mine with some toast and butter while she had some scrambled eggs – *shiver* – and orange juice. We thanked the two girls before digging in. I was silent at first, minding my manners while Dagger elegantly cut her eggs with her knife and sipped her juice. She looked up from her food and was curious at my sudden silence.

"What? Is something wrong?" Dagger asked, briefly putting down her utensils. I shook my head as soon as she finished her question.

"N-No, nothing's wrong." I replied with a lopsided smile on my face. "I'm just a bit nervous." When she didn't quite get what I meant, I leaned in and continued with a hushed voice. "You know, eating with royalty." That and the fact that you are eating scrambled eggs. Not that it highly affects everything.

"Oh," She finally got it, making her straighten in her seat. "Think nothing of it. From another perspective, we're just two girls sharing breakfast."

"Yeah. Just making sure, you know? This really doesn't happen to me often. Eating with a princess, I mean."

"If it makes you more comfortable, I haven't eaten outside the castle that much."

"I could imagine." I say. We were like that during our little time together over pancakes. We talked about some things that have happened earlier, like the events that lead to her rescue at Evil Forest. She commended the group's bravery at facing the giant Plant Brain, though from my description I think I made it too much of a challenge of fighting it.

From there we went from horrible plants to the beauty of ice skating. Dagger enjoyed it so much that if the seasons in Alexandria came to a point that the water between the city and the castle would freeze, she would invite the citizens of Alexandria to skate with her just to experience it again. Back on Earth, making an ice rink would be fairly simple if you had the necessary equipment, but I guess those very equipment don't exist yet in this reality.

"Thanks for the breakfast, Dagger. I owe you." I said to her after we finished eating. We left the bar and basked in the healthy sunlight beaming down on us.

"As I've already said, think nothing of it." She stated once again. Nonsense! Even if she keeps saying that I'll gonna get some cash from Blake and repay her, presumably lunch or brunch. It doesn't matter what I repay her with, just repaying her is enough for me.

Anyway, I see her looking towards the small field with the crops with a thoughtful look. Oh right, the Active Time Event, or ATE, where she goes off and looks at the crops before being 'scared' off by an oglop. If you didn't know, I used the world 'scared' in the loosest way possible. She's still trying to act like an average girl who wasn't raised in a castle.

You know what, I don't have anything to do right now. I just hope Dagger won't mind. "Hey Dagger, would you mind if I tag along with you? I'm not really comfortable being alone in a new place." The princess turns back to me and nods.

"It's okay." Dagger responded. "Maybe you can help me try to blend in." Alright! Now there's something I can do.

"I'll try my best! Lead the way, Dagger." And with that, Dagger leads us towards the small fenced area where the village's crops were growing, all the while softly singing a song that I didn't know. It must've been that same song she sings in Lindblum.

Dagger stepped into the field muttering to herself something about the castle being alright as I observed just outside the fence. She walked around the crops, deep in thought, while I noticed a small, rotund woman wearing a loose cloak and an orange bandana on her head. She was actually there to get rid of the bugs infesting the crops and Dagger was in her way. It's just as how the ATE goes.

As I was looking around, I managed to barely catch a glimpse of a yellow tail entering the food joint. It was enough for me to identify its owner as Zidane. Now the plot is starting to pick up.

Then I hear Dagger scream. I saw an orange dot in the sky stop ascending and start descending back down. The woman in the bandana was shaking her head as she went back to what she was doing. Dagger didn't want to disturb the woman anymore and quietly exited the area and came up to me.

"Was it convincing?" She inquired on her performance.

"The scream? It sure was." I answered complete with thumbs up. "If I didn't know what you were doing, I would've run down here and checked what was happening." Dagger only smiled at the compliment she received. It really sounded convincing to me honestly. "But just a tip, most girls are really terrified of bugs, yet that doesn't mean you have to. Acting like a normal citizen doesn't mean you have to be a 'classic girl' type. Just be yourself, but leave everything you've learned about being a princess at the door when you enter a room."

"I need to have more practice." Dagger said, nodding at my advice. "Let us go…er…I mean, let's go see if there's another place I can learn to blend in more." She began walking up towards the shop. Oh man… If she suggests that she pay for my replacement sword, even if it is a gesture of kindheartedness, I will need to insist to not have her pay for it. I'll feel terrible if I don't.

As I reaching for the door, it suddenly pulled away from me, opening by itself as if by magic. Well, that's what I thought when I didn't see the person opening the door. Both of us didn't expect each other to be on the other side, so we almost hit heads in the process, but the guy was able to stop me from hitting me by putting up a hand on my shoulder. I felt the hand and it wasn't an ordinary hand like half of it was covered up.

"Alyssa?" I heard the person speak. I looked up and saw that it was Blake. A chirp made me look down to his feet to see that he had his chocobo chick along with him. What is he doing here?

"You should always pay attention to what's in front of you, Alyssa." He said before stepping away from the door, trying to look away. Was he…blushing? "Right this way, girls." He opened the door a bit wider for us and bowed.

"Thank you." Dagger smiled at the teenager and his cheerful chick as we strode into the shop. Wow, who knew Blake was chivalrous?

Speaking of wow, the weapon store's a bit bigger than I thought. In the game, the place is small, yet adequate enough. But in real life, it's big enough to put my entire room in and there would still be some free space. Weapons were hung on our right side from knives to daggers to swords while pots were lined up on the other side for some weird reason. There were other items behind the counter sitting alongside the girl who was greeting us with a smile. And I think I smelled tea in the air.

"So, how long have you been up?" Blake directed a question to me as he closed the door.

How long was I up? "…Um…I think an hour or so…?" I tried to think of a sure answer, but I really had a problem of measuring time without a watch or a cell phone showing me the time. Man, I wish I had my phone with me… "How was your sleep?"

"Terrible." I heard him groan and put a hand on his neck. "At least the pillow was comfortable." He should've just traded with me or just slept on the floor. I told him he's going to have a rough morning sleeping like that. "What have you been doing since you woke up?"

I told him all what I have been doing the past hour or so like how I've been waiting for everyone to wake up, how I met up with Dagger at the bar and ate breakfast with her and how I've been with her giving advice on blending in with the average folk. I left out the part where I broke some items before eating with Dagger because Blake wouldn't have let me borrow money if he knew.

"Right, as if any of us are qualified for giving advice." Blake remarked about me giving advice to Dagger. I gave him a sharp elbow to his side, eliciting a gasp from him. "Ow! That wasn't necessary, you know?"

"What do you want me to do? I had no idea what to do until Dagger showed up." I argued. We kept our voices down as we talked in the corner of the shop while watching over Dagger and the shopkeeper's interaction. At least we were respecting their conversation.

Speaking of respecting one's conversation, a kid came rushing in and spewing whatever nonsense the kids in the village were talking about. Dagger stepped to the side as the kid got a scolding from the lady behind the counter, but Dagger insisted to let them finish first. I wish people were as kind as Dagger sometimes. We'd probably not have a lot of conflicts if we were that nice.

Anyway, the kid started saying something about a weirdo outside. I already knew where this was going. He was talking about Vivi and how weird that he was up and about the place, while the others weren't even moving. The shopkeeper just listened and nodded as the kid went on.

Kids trying to tell stories were sometimes funny to watch since they have a hard time describing things in small detail. Just seeing the kid breathlessly talk made me chuckle. Good thing I was ignored for the moment as everyone's attention was with the kid. Well, except for Blake, who has been kneeling down beside his chick and petting it gently as it chirped up to him.

He eventually finished his story and went off to find something else to do. The girl at the counter smiled as the boy left. "I'm sorry about that. The children around here are just so…"

"Hyperactive? Easily excited? Annoying?" Blake suggested a few words for her, but she didn't use any of them.

"Rambunctious." That was the word she decided on.

"Oh, I don't mind." Dagger said. She doesn't mind because at least she got to observe. "I haven't been into this side of the country, and it is already being quite the experience."

"So you don't travel often?" The girl inquired.

"Yep!" I stepped in beside Dagger and pointed to her with my thumb, indicating that we were traveling together. "It's her first time to explore the world."

"Oh! A first time traveler! I know some handy tips for you, if you don't mind." She then started giving tips on what to do in times of emergency such being attacked by a Zanghnol unarmed. It was weird advice coming from her. It was like I was listening to the Discovery Channel; weird but probably helpful things to hear about. Despite all that, Dagger was definitely intrigued by it

Blake kept silent in his corner and I joined him once the girl was done with the info dump. Dagger thanked her and decided to look over the little poster on the wall about equipment near the pots. That was when Zidane entered. He did not see me and Blake due to our spot in the corner and him immediately seeing Dagger contributed to that too.

My friend standing beside me thought it would be hilarious if we copied Zidane's actions, which was looking over Dagger's shoulder and copying her. So we did and stood behind both of his shoulders and mimicked him. We were like that for quite a while until Dagger noticed the closeness of the thief to her making her blush. She wondered as to how long he was standing there like that, but Blake answered for Zidane, much to his surprise. Once we were done with that, the lovely couple, though still unofficial as of right now, started talking about Lord Avon and how much Dagger is a big fan of his work while Blake nudged me and showed me something.

It was a satchel. "Here you go. You need a place to put your items in and I thought you'd need one."

Wow. Courteous and considerate. Again, who knew? "Aww, thanks. How thoughtful."

"Right. Too bad I can't do anything about your poor choice in clothing." And all of that just got cancelled out, and then some. Just for that I'm going to wipe that smirk off his damn face. He shrugs off the glare I was giving him as he turns to Zidane. "Is there anything else?"

Zidane tells him that they needed to talk about their next move over at the inn. He asks the two of us if we needed to do something else. Just then, Blake's chocobo started making noise like it was trying to tell Blake something.

"Yeah, I have to find something to feed this thing." Blake sighed, but he quickly sobered up and pointed something out. "And I believe we're missing someone here. I'll go look for the dear captain in case he's up to some shenanigans."

Then Zidane looks at me, silently asking me the same thing. "I actually have something else to do." I tell him. Since Blake's going out to find someone, I guess I'll cover for the other end and look for Vivi. I bet he hasn't moved from where I think he's at. "And you know what; I'll go find Vivi so we can meet up at the inn."

Our blonde de facto leader nodded and started heading out to the inn with Dagger closely behind him. The moment the door closed behind them, I channeled a response to Blake's comment about my current attire with a dope slap across the back of his head. He flinched in pain and cupped the spot with his other hand.

"OW! Was _that_ necessary!?"

I frowned at him and crossed my arms. "Blake, you should know that girls don't appreciate it when you make fun of their clothes."

"Really? Last time I checked, girls actually have a fashion sense." My hand went on automatic and tried to dopeslap him again, but he ducked. I willed my hand to go back and it successfully struck him on the forehead. "Okay, you need to stop doing that! Guys don't appreciate it when girls hit them! Unless it's a comedy show, then it would be okay. But this isn't really a comedy show, isn't it?"

"Really? Last time I checked, you deserved it." I argued.

"Touché." He said as he now nursed his forehead, a hint of annoyance in that simple word. If he's annoyed now then he should have learned by now to stop making fun of my clothes. When I get to Lindblum, I'm going to turn this pair of overalls and pants in for anything, even if it's a frilly dress, I don't care. "What is it that you need? Does it involve me? I have something to do, and I would love to go do it if I'm not needed for anything right now."

I actually thought that he'd not even bother helping me after I'd hit him twice. Weird… I told him anyway that I needed his help, and he correctly guessed that it involved money. After getting confirmation, he sighed, "Alright, what do you need?"

I told him that I needed a lighter sword because my arms were starting to ache with this freakin' big sword I've been carrying since Alexandria. Then I hear him mumbling something about him noticing that the sword was a bit big for my size and that he has some difficulties in wielding swords with that kind of size because it was either too big or he just can't lift one. "Maybe you mean you don't have upper body strength." I comment.

As if he wasn't even talking to himself, he replies, "FYI, I do have upper body strength. I just…don't tend to use it that much." With that, he goes up to the shopkeeper and says a few words before pointing to me. He then took my sword from me and laid it on the counter, where the girl lifted it to see how heavy it was.

"I think that short sword over there would be enough." She pointed over to the wall of weapons beside me. I looked at the number of weapons hanging right there until I see the short sword she was referring to. I took it off the wall and was instantly surprised by how light it was.

"Wow. This one is very light! It's almost like one of my fencing swords from back home." I exclaimed while doing a few careful practice swings. I don't want to break more stuff than I had already broken.

And with that, Blake paid for my new weapon, along with a belt and a sheath for my new sword, and sold off the big Knights of Pluto sword. I swear I'm going to apologize to whoever owned that sword for stealing and it selling it off. If that means I'd have to pay for their next dinner, then I'd go and do it. I feel bad for taking it, but I had to or else I would've been defenseless.

The two of us exited the store as soon as our business was done there. Both of us were walking towards the bar, but both of us stopped when we saw Vivi still standing there, deep in thought. Blake seemed to be thinking about something as he frowns and directs his gaze to the bar.

"Ah…Blake, I'll catch up with you later. You go feed your…uh…weird." When I looked at his dark feathered pet, I just had a thought. Has he named it yet…? Well, I'll just assume he hasn't because he hasn't even referred to it by a name yet. "You haven't named it yet."

One of his eyebrows rose at my statement. "Hmm…Glad you noticed." I don't know whether he was being sarcastic or sincerely complimenting me, though I don't know why he'd give a compliment like that. "I'll name it when I'm not busy. Until then, it shall stay nameless!" He said in such a loud way that it got him weird looks from the kids playing nearby.

He made his way to the bar and entered without even looking back. I eyed the black mage and tried to think of a way to approach him. He's probably confused with all of the village kids avoiding him for some reason. Should I point that out or say something else? In the ATE during the game, Zidane mistakenly thinks that Vivi met a girl. How should I talk to him?

..Crap! I also forgot that he gets kidnapped here because the villagers think he escaped the underground storage facility and I still haven't thought of what I should do! Damn it, I should've decided on this earlier. What to do? What to do?

You know what? I'll just wing it! Maybe I can get a random eureka moment while I walk up to him. Okay… Here goes!

"Hey Vivi!" I came up beside him, almost making him jump out of his coat in surprise.

"Oh, Alyssa!" Vivi stopped his fidgeting once I was standing to his right. "Uh…hello."

"What's up, Vivi? You look kinda deep in thought." I expressed my curiosity as I looked at him.

"Yeah, I was…thinking about something…" He awkwardly mumbled a response. I think this is where Zidane changes the subject accidentally. C'mon, think of something. Look around and probably piece together a conversation. Oh! I think I got something.

"Is this your first time here?" I asked.

"Huh?" He looked up to me, his focus still circling around his thoughts. I repeated my question to him. "Oh, yeah. This is my first time going here."

"Really?" I tried to act surprised. "I bet its weird being in a new place you've never been." The black mage nodded, agreeing to my sentiment. "Kinda scary, huh?" Another nod from him. "I'm curious. Did you go to Alexandria alone?" He nodded once again. Okay, I need to make him answering in nods. "How long have you been traveling alone?"

"Not very long…" The black mage replied. "I got a ticket…for the play. I haven't seen a play before…so I went to Alexandria to go see it." I kind of get what he's saying right now. The first place you go to just happens to have a kidnapping plot happening the moment you were there. Who would expect that?

"And the whole kidnapping thing happened." I summed up to him. "It kinda sucks that it happened, but," I paused momentarily, getting Vivi to look at me, waiting for what I was going to say. "I was able to meet other people because of it."

"Other people…" He repeated my words, as if thinking that using a failed kidnapping attempt as a way to meet other people as strange.

"Because of what happened, I also got to see Blake. And I managed to meet Zidane, Steiner, Dagger and you." I chuckled. Just the thought of being able to meet my favorite characters makes me smile.

"I didn't think it would be like…that."

"Me too, Vivi. Me too." I think Vivi and I are on the same wavelength in regards to the expectance of being in an adventure. I knelt down beside the mage and looked into those bright yellow eyes. "If you're having any sort of trouble, don't be afraid to ask me for help, 'kay? I just might be able to help."

"S-Sure. Thanks." Vivi said with a nod.

"Alright, Zidane, Dagger and I will be at the inn thinking over what we'll do next. Would you –" Wait! Vivi gets nabbed here once I leave. Maybe I can convince him to leave with me and head on back to the inn. "Vivi?" The young mage turned to me, his full attention on me. "You wanna go back to the inn now? We can't talk about our next move without you."

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah. You're a part of this group and we'd also like to hear what you'd say about…some stuff."

Vivi looked somewhat hesitant, wondering if his importance in the group is really that big. After a few moments, he faced the direction towards the inn. "Okay."

"Great!" I exclaimed. Wow, I did it. Now I just need to get him in the inn, and then all we need to do is wait for Blake and Steiner.

Well, that was the plan until the two of us got jumped from behind. I heard a muffled voice trying to cry out while I was being held down with my face on the ground. I think I'm going to inhale a lot of grass if these people didn't get off me. I tried to move my arms, but someone had a very good grip on my wrists that rendered me incapable of getting anywhere if I tried.

A pair of boots with a dark green camouflage design on started walking in front of me. The person knelt down and I heard him chuckle darkly. "Sorry about this, but we don't need someone interfering." It was a man speaking. Something about his tone really made that apology sound insincere.

But I wasn't able to think of why because I felt a cloth being put against my nose and then I started getting dizzy until I blacked out.

-FFIX FFIX FFIX-

What…is…happening? …tried…open…eyes…too heavy….some reason…

…Oh…uhm…oh man…why does it smell like chloroform…?

_"Why did we have to bring that girl here?" There were people taking somewhere near me. I couldn't tell where exactly because I feel really out of it. This guy sounded a tad irritated._

_"She's trouble, I could tell." It was a different voice this time and this one was more mature sounding._

_"If she's too much trouble, then why did she go down that easy? She would've put up more of a fight."_

_"We jumped her, she didn't expect it. Now stop complaining. It's not our place to question orders."_

_"Just because some guy from the castle says a lot of things doesn't mean we should listen. We have a lot of things we should –"_ I was trying to open my tired eyes when they suddenly went off track.

_"What was that about the guy from the castle?"_ A third voice joined the fray and this one sounded familiar. Whatever the other two were talking about, it got derailed as soon as this guy said a word. They were all silent for a while, taken by surprise by the arrival of the guy, or maybe it's something else? _"Hmm…? Cat got your tongue?"_

_"N-Nothing, sir."_ That was the younger one of the two voices. I've gotten my eyes open, though what I saw was more of a blurry speck than an actual visual image.

_"You see, I'm not who you guys should be worrying about."_ The late arrival said to the other two. _"You don't want HIM to come down here and handle things Himself, don't you?"_ Even with my temporary lousy sight, I could see the two freeze upon the mention of that last phrase. 'Him'? Who is he talking about? Is he talking about Kuja?

_"I thought so. So if you guys don't want to get on his bad side, then I suggest you get back to work. Starting with this guy…"_

I looked at the conversing three and noticed that there was someone else with them: one who had an oversized blue and white coat and a pointy hat: Vivi. With my sight slowly clearing, I saw that he was looking over towards me. Where was I?

I turned and had a good look of my surroundings. I was in the underground storage facility of Dali, where the villagers worked on weapons of mass destruction for the kingdom of Alexandria instead of working on that farm above. I was specifically inside a fenced area with a bright light coming down from my left, which turned out to be a well with the light being the sun. Then I saw something yellow moving around: a fully grown chocobo. It was probably ignoring me, thinking that I was dead since I haven't moved for so long.

When I craned my head and straightened my back against the wall behind me, it whipped its head at me at the first sign of movement. I didn't know whether to be scared that it was staring me down or glad of being face to face with a big feathered creature like it.

The three people talking under the shed to my right had finally finished their little talk. Two of them had these familiar blue clothes I've seen from the game that was worn by the villagers working in here, but I noticed this other man, who's obviously the third voice in the conversation, with long black hair and a very weirdly designed maroon jacket walk away deeper into the facility. One thing I managed to take note was that this guy had camouflaged boots, the very same ones that were worn by the guy who knocked me out. All three of them were going to lead Vivi into the middle of the facility and store him in a box.

"Wait!" The long haired man stopped at the call of the older villager. "Who's gonna look after the girl?"

Maroon Jacket Man didn't even miss a beat as he looked at the other villager. "You keep your eyes on her. We don't want her getting loose."

The young worker nodded continually under the gaze of this weirdo and went back. He took a chair and sat down while keeping me in his sight. Speaking of getting loose, I needed to get out of here. I tried moving and that was when I realized that my feet were bound together and my hands were tied behind me. Maybe if I can get my sword out, I'll be able to cut the rope around my hands and—wait. Where's my sword!? Damn, they took away my sword. My mouth was also gagged. How did I miss that?

"You ain't going anywhere." The worker told me, leaning into his seat.

That's where you're wrong buddy! I'm definitely going somewhere and you, your boss and that guy with the weird colored jacket isn't gonna like it. But even if I knew that, I had to act like I'm a real prisoner. I said something to the guy, only to him to not understand what I was saying.

"What? Can't understand a word you're sayin'." He taunted me. I said a few more things, this time a bit louder than usual. I was only saying random things at him at the top of my head. My efforts in trying to get a word in must've entertained the guy since he was laughing at me.

Then I noticed a yellow tail from way over the barrel just over yonder. Finally, Zidane and Dagger are here. I almost smiled, but good thing I caught myself before I actually did. I just need to keep this guy looking at me for a while longer for them to sneak up on him. So I pushed myself off the wall and onto my knees and just went out shouting at him as loud as I can.

That sent him to the edge of his seat and completely guffawed like an idiot. Unfortunately for him, that got him knocked out cold. He just froze for a second and fell down to the floor in a heap. Standing behind him was Dagger and Zidane, who was currently armed with Dagger's rod.

"Alyssa, thank goodness you're okay!" Dagger was the first to reach me. She removed the gag in my mouth and I managed to finally say something coherent.

"Oh man, I thought I'd be like that forever." I sighed as Zidane began cutting the rope around my feet. I looked around absently, trying to act like I've never seen this place before. "Where are we?"

"We're under the village." Zidane answered for me. He explained it to me when I repeated his words with a questioning tone. "We don't know what this place is yet, but we found an entrance when we saw a pretty shifty guy we haven't seen before walk into the windmill like he owned the place." He finished with my bound feet and was now starting on the one around my wrists.

Could he be talking about that guy with the maroon jacket? I asked the two if they did see that guy. Both of them nodded. "Maybe he did own the place." I wondered out loud. "What got you two to go down here?"

"The both of us got worried when you and Vivi hadn't shown up at the inn after a long time." Dagger answered. "Zidane thought that you went off to look for Blake and Steiner. Vivi, on the other hand, being a very shy boy, would have gone back as soon as you told him, so we thought that his prolonged disappearance was odd."

"What about Blake and Steiner?"

"If Blake's with Steiner, then they'll be alright. Anyway, we went out and looked for him and found that guy. We also heard crying and chocobos. The crying came from Vivi. One thing led to another and now we're here." Zidane summed it up.

Okay, I think I got it. Only Blake and Steiner are above and probably looking for information while we're down here getting rescued and looking for Vivi. Wonderful. While I still know what happens here, what I don't know is who in the hell was that guy who chloroformed me. I don't recognize him from anywhere, whether it's from the main plot or a side mission in the game. He's a total unknown!

He's not here anymore, anyway. I'll deal with that problem later. Maybe Blake has something on him that I missed in the game. Let's just focus on rescuing Vivi and getting away from here. But before that…

"What do we do about him?" I pointed over to the guy they knocked out.

"Hmm… We can't allow him to alert the others." Dagger tried to think about their options. I didn't even hesitate on suggesting what I had in mind once I saw the rope that used to hold my hands and feet together.

"I think I have an idea…" I had a devilish grin on my face when I picked up the rope.

A few minutes later, I was finished tying up the worker in the same exact spot I had been sitting in for God knows how long. He was still unconscious and we weren't waiting for him to wake up before we left. We skedaddled and went on ahead. I eventually found my sword on one of the crates, waiting for me to pick it back up again.

"I don't think we should've left him like that." Dagger spoke up, looking back to the struggling worker.

"What goes around, comes around, Dagger." That was my simple reply to her. I don't even know if they know about karma or not, but I hope she got what I meant. In regards to the worker, I bet it won't be even that long until someone finds him. Maroon Jacket Man would probably go back and see him like that anyway.

We passed the room with the stacks of crates that were taller than the three of us. Some of them were covered in brown sheets, some were tied together in sets, and some were partially open. I looked up at the stacks of boxes and had this feeling that something's going to make them collapse and fall on over on us. For me, the sooner we were out of here, the better.

Zidane and Dagger didn't share my certain paranoia for falling crates since they focused on finding the kidnapped black mage in this storage facility. But finding Vivi would only make us stumble into a secret of the village. As we walked, the noise of machinery started to fill our ears. It made the two run up ahead with me trailing behind. We've finally gotten to this part of the facility.

"What the heck is that?" Zidane asked no one in particular.

Before he could inspect the machine in the far left that was spitting out eggs like clockwork, Dagger stopped him. "Zidane! Do you hear that?"

Zidane walked back up to us and listened in. "Someone's crying." I've already turned my head to the set of boxes placed in the corner of the room before the two could even figure out where the sounds were coming from.

"Over here." I pointed to a tall box a second later. We approached the box cautiously with Zidane up in front.

"…Vivi?"

"Zidane!?" A surprised gasp then came out from the box. Zidane, Dagger and I sighed in relief. Vivi's safe.

"It IS you! I'll get you out!" Zidane started feeling around the surfaces of the box, trying to look for a spot where he can pull it apart. "Help me out here, guys." Dagger and I looked at each other and nodded.

I spotted a crack in the side of the box near its edge. "Step back a bit, Vivi." I took my sword and warned the mage. I hoped he did what I told him as I put the sharp edge of my short sword into the crack and started pushing against the hilt. It eventually cracked that side of the box open, letting in some light inside. I could see Vivi inside, looking at the light source with surprise. With the combined effort of all three of us, we got the box fully opened and freed our friend.

"What happened?" Zidane asked the now free black mage.

"Earlier, Alyssa and I were going back to the inn when we were attacked." Vivi explained. "I was taken here while Alyssa was tied up by some guy in weird clothing. I don't know why they brought us here."

"Me either." I added. It would make sense why they would take Vivi later, but me being nabbed and put here doesn't.

Vivi continued, his voice starting to tremble, telling us that Maroon Jacket Man threatened to hurt me if he didn't stay put. He went on about the workers asking him why he was outside when the cargo ship hadn't arrived yet, only confusing him more and more. When he came to the part about being added to 'today's shipment', Dagger concluded that that was the reason why he was in a box.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe." Zidane told him. Then the thief went on to advise Vivi on doing something next time something happens like this happens again, like shouting back something at the person – like 'scumbag'. The usage of the word confused Dagger.

I've seen this happen in the game before, so I don't think I had anything to gain by adding my two cents. I just tried to remember what was going to happen next. We're going to see the process of how Alexandria's mindless black mage army is being made.

After Zidane made sure that Vivi was okay on exploring the facility, we then continued moving on. We first looked at the machine spewing eggs on the conveyor belt. The machine had the shape of a giant toy bucket turned upside down and looked like its tech had the look of a modern steam-punk imitation that was made in the 18th century.

Our group's leader made the very keen observation that the machine was dumping eggs on the conveyor belt like it was nobody's business. "This isn't a Mist engine, but there's Mist coming out of it…" He then turned his attention to the pipes coming from the machine, which lead to a pair of closed doors behind us. Underneath the door was Mist trying to get in.

"There's Mist coming from behind this door." Dagger pointed out.

"Should we open it?" Vivi asked.

"…That's a bit dangerous, if you ask me." I said. If we opened that door, monsters are going to pile in because of the presence of the Mist. I'm sure everyone here would like to avoid fighting anything in a cramped space like this.

"A quick peek won't hurt." Zidane insisted, looking at me and the princess as if asking for permission. Dagger and I looked at each other, contemplating whether we should allow it.

"Just a quick peek, Zidane." Dagger responded, getting a nod from the blond.

"Alright." I shrugged my shoulders. "Just be quick. We don't want any monsters to get in."

Zidane took hold of the knob while I stepped back a bit in case something was waiting behind the door. He pushed it open slightly and looked inside. He then started saying something about a machine being out there too, but the one he's seeing was sucking in the Mist. The pipes from the machine in the room we were in lead to the machine outside, making it easier for the others to make a connection that the Mist had something to do with the eggs.

As Zidane was telling them this and describing what it looked like, I suddenly started feeling a bit woozy. I even failed to realize that I was holding in my breath, but even if I exhaled and inhaled I was still feeling wobbly. My breathing got deeper as I tried to concentrate. I was seeing two Vivi's standing in front of me with his back turned. I turned around, not wanting them to see me in this…state.

What's happening? The last time something like this happened was back in the Ice Cavern during that blizzard, except without my chest caving in of itself. I put a hand on the machine beside me, trying to balance myself and avoid falling over, while I ran my hand through my hair. Falling over would only make things look worse.

I heard a click behind me and the voices of the others trying to think of how Mist was being used by the machine. Moments later, my breathing starting to even out and my vision clearing.

"C'mon Alyssa, we gotta get moving." Zidane called out. He was now standing over at the path aside the conveyor belt with Dagger and Vivi going on ahead.

"Y-Yeah." I shook my head, clearing the cobwebs a bit as I moved towards the group. I need know why I am feeling so sick. At least my lungs weren't collapsing, but that's only a minor positive when it comes to everything. This sick feeling… I have no idea why it's happening. I should get to the bottom of this before I get hit by it again.

With my mind lingering on the sickness I had encountered earlier, I think I had ignored whatever the others were saying about the machines and the eggs and what was happening. Because of that, I bumped into Zidane's back. I looked up from the floor and noticed that everyone had stopped walking.

"Ahhh! What is this!?"

This room…This is where Vivi sees black mages being churned out from the machine that hatches the eggs, and after that they're being put in boxes similar to the one Vivi was put in. Dagger realizes that, upon putting together what she had heard from the workers about the shipment being flown to Alexandria, the black mages were being flown to the castle. Both of them were shocked.

"Wh-What is this…?" Vivi managed. "Are they…dolls?"

"Why…? Is my mother behind this…?" Dagger tried to wrap her mind in what she's seeing in front of her. But she wouldn't have enough time doing that when I heard a pair of feet coming up from behind us.

Zidane was looking around as quick as he can. He heard the same thing I heard and was now trying to find a way out. "Alyssa, grab Vivi!" He told me as he took Dagger by the hand.

I was already clutching on the little guy's wrist when Zidane ran ahead of us. I was right behind him as we tried to find an escape route, but unfortunately for us we didn't find any. So, we took the next best choice we had been offered and dived into a spot near some crates to hide in.

"Did any of you say something?" I heard one of the male workers ask the people around him, but none of them replied positively. I slightly peeked out of our cover, hoping that nobody saw us run into our spot, and I saw one particular person who would love to see me right now: the Maroon Jacket Man.

He was walking alongside a familiar young worker, the very same one I tied up and left near the chocobo after being rescued. The worker was telling something to MJM, but the man only smirked and shook his head. I bet he's notifying him about my escape. The weird thing is, MJM seemed too cool about something. I thought he'd be more ticked off that I escaped. Maybe he didn't care about me being loose. That's probably it.

He soon turned around and wandered off with the young worker trailing behind him. Who is this guy?

"We need to get outta here." Zidane whispered. We heard someone from the opposite side of the spot we were hiding in approach, making us tense. Zidane led us far away from the spot and into the open.

"Let me see…" I took the lead and climbed up the stairs near the machine, looking over my shoulder to make sure that Zidane was right behind me. Once I got to the top, I froze when I saw someone on the opposite side of the conveyor belt. The guy's back was turned, but he would turn around eventually. In a 'panic' (used loosely here), I pushed our group inside the machine before an incoming black mage in the conveyor belt could knock us off.

"Whoa!" Vivi uttered. Then a lot of things started to happen. Something dropped from above us and Zidane was forced inside what I think was a box along with one black mage and then pushed out. The same happened to Dagger and Vivi in that order until I was next and packed in a box behind them.

-FFIX FFIX FFIX-

There were a lot of muffled cries that sounded panicked, worried and frightened coming from the others I was packed with. I think we were being loaded into something big that started to be turned on its side and being moved. Being inside a small box that was inside a barrel being rolled on its side was not making me any more comfortable and less nauseous.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" I groaned from all the movement that was happening. I didn't know if the black mage I was packed with was already moving, but if I were it and I had just heard that, I would've said something to voice out some sort of panic. But thankfully it didn't since I didn't lose my breakfast…yet.

Eventually the moving stopped and the barrel had been placed upright. Thank goodness for that. There were a pair of muffled voices, probably workers doing their jobs, but suddenly their calm voices became hurried. There were a few sounds I heard like something closing and something else rolling away with a loose wheel that faded out. It was followed by a sound of metal and steel coming towards us.

"Steiner!" I heard Dagger shout. It really was the beloved captain of the Knights of Pluto, come to rescue us. From what I could hear, Steiner was asking a lot of questions about the barrel. Since Steiner is here, that meant that Blake is close behind.

"Hey Rusty!" Zidane yelled, but his cries of the insulting nickname for the knight fell on deaf ears as the knight in question continued his ramblings.

"Try moving. Maybe that would get his attention." I suggested, trying to jump around in the hopes it would make our wooden prison move. I didn't hear anyone answer, but I was sure someone took to doing it because suddenly I felt the barrel move a bit. There was a surprised cry outside and for a moment everyone was silent.

Two voices said a few things to each other, and I was definitely sure that Blake was the other one talking to Steiner when there was a faint but identifiable chirp alongside their voices. "Blake! Blake, get us out of here!" I cried out.

"Are they going to rescue us?" Vivi faintly asked. I sure hope they do before Steiner gets any bright ideas.

"…should I poke it?" Was the last thing I wanted to hear, but Steiner let out those very words loud enough for us to hear.

"NO!" I shouted. I put my ear against the wood and tried to hear out what the two were saying to each other.

"No, let's not do—" Blake's voice tried to say, but was suddenly cut off. What happened? Did he fail to stop Steiner from stabbing the barrel?

There was a thick silence as I hoped that Steiner didn't do what I think he's about to do. Blake had stopped talking for some reason and the others in the barrel were surprisingly silent, maybe anticipating the worst or trying to come up with a plan. I strained to hear anything from the other side. Nobody was talking, that I get, but there was a noise that somewhat sounded like a sharp intake of air. What?

Anyway, maybe I should use this time to convince everyone to get the barrel to move again. "Guys! We need to get the barrel to move again."

"Alright." I heard Vivi agree. Zidane and Dagger soon followed.

"Okay, on the count of three, we push and hope that we topple over." Zidane instructed them.

"Won't we accidentally crush Steiner and Blake?" Dagger worriedly said.

"We'll worry about it when we do crush someone." I replied quickly.

"On three," Zidane called out. "One. Two. Three!" When the count came, all four of us slammed to one side. Well, that's what I did anyway. I felt the barrel tilt slightly to one side and come back down on steady ground. "Again!"

The four of us did this twice more, the force we used somewhat stronger than the last one in desperation. After we did it for the second time, the barrel tilted again and this time it continued to tilt until we felt it lurch over to one side and hit the ground horizontally.

The force of impact made me dizzy for a moment, and this one was gone faster unlike the sudden surge of dizziness earlier. I pounded against the top of the box I was in with both hands until I felt it loosen and eventually give out. I pushed it off and started crawling out towards the bright light that meant freedom from this ungodly barrel and box combination.

I saw a pair of silhouettes as I crawled out. It was probably Blake and Steiner, but I just wanted to get out of here so much that I jumped out at one of them.

Apparently the one I had aimed for was Blake, and because of me jumping out at him, he fell on his backside and was a shade paler as he stared at me. Whoa, did I scare him?

"Wh-What is the meaning of this!?" Steiner demanded as soon as he saw Zidane follow me out of the barrel. I helped Zidane get Vivi and Dagger out of their wooden prison box and contributed in the explanation that Zidane and Dagger rescued me and Vivi and found an underground manufacturing facility that made dolls that looked like Vivi. Our black mage was still in shock that he wasn't able to add to the story. There was also a mention of Maroon Jacket Man and I looked at Blake to see if he had a reaction to it, but I noticed that he wasn't paying attention. That means I'll have to tell him later then.

Blake looked like he had his thinking cap on. He's probably devising a plan on how to combat the next boss fight. Thinking about it made my hand inch towards my short sword. It's obviously going to be hectic and hellacious fight. We'd need all the help we could get, and all the help we had was knowledge of the future events of the game.

With that, I know that we'll come out on top of this next obstacle. I'm sure of it!


	16. C is for Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Second Waltz.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 15: C is for Crazy

-Alyssa-

"Princess, what in the world is going on!? You scoundrel! Is this your doing!?"

"Steiner, please!"

"…Yes, Your Highness…"

"Zidane, I don't know what to say to Vivi. I never knew anything suspicious was going on at the castle…"

"We still don't know for sure. Let's stay by Vivi's side."

I stood by Blake the whole time the others were taking, not paying attention to their exchange as they were now trying to comfort the confused black mage while Steiner was either looking at the cargo ship, trying to hatch a plan to get back to Alexandria, or trying to get answers from Zidane as to why we were in the barrel. The two of us already have an idea of what's going to happen and what's supposed to happen next, but even that made me nervous. I don't know what's Blake feeling right now, yet he looks like there's something in his mind. I also noticed his chocobo pecking against his stomach like it was trying to get his attention.

My hand crept up to the hilt of my short sword as I eyed the area around us. It's about to come, I know it. It's just a matter to time. I know we can beat it, alright. It'll just take some strategic thinking and using advantages. If we just rush at it we'd be toast, as Blake would say.

Blake notices then that I have been looking at him for quite a while now, probably asking himself what was wrong. "I bet you're wondering if I have a plan." He silently says to me.

"No," I reply. "Looking around for…stuff. You know, for strategic purposes."

He chuckled. "Right," Blake remarked before patting me on the head twice. "Don't worry. This little accessory has a plan or two up in his sleeve." Ugh…that again?

"What's wrong with you two?" We both heard Zidane's voice and I immediately straightened, attempting to look like I've been paying attention. Blake didn't even bother with his posture. He just folded his casted arm just below his chest and put his chick front and center.

"Nothing. I'm just going over with her the stuff you guys saw underground." Blake covered for me.

"Oh! We saw this factory under the village and they were making dolls that looked like Vivi! We also saw this guy who kidnapped us. A guy in a maroon jacket!" Blake hummed in response. He looked at me with a slightly confused face, not sure if he was acting or trying to get me to explain more. I couldn't add the fact that the guy in the jacket was someone we didn't know in the story. So I just shrugged and repeated the word 'jacket'.

"This strange person in the oddly colored jacket… he sounds like an interesting fellow, don't you think?" He looked over to Dagger with the question aimed at her. She could only cock up an eyebrow at his words. The meaning of his words were lost on her, but to me it meant that this guy we've just seen could be trouble, one we didn't know, and that very trouble is something we should be wary of.

Zidane then started asking Steiner about the cargo ship's supposed destination. If it wasn't obvious enough that he's lying through his teeth by being all kinds of tense, then I don't know if you have your eyes on right. Even his voice sounded a bit shaky. He's probably not one to lie, being the model knight and all.

But even if Zidane and the others, sans Vivi who was still mentally occupied, knew he was, they didn't show it and just went along with it. To Zidane, if it can make Dagger board the cargo ship much faster, then it's for the best. He's a thief after all. He's not one to judge one's underhanded tactics.

Then that was when a figure over in the distance appeared, zooming towards our spot. Initially it was a dark spot in the horizon but it didn't take long for it to go unnoticed as Steiner pointed over to it. When it was near enough, it disappeared and reappeared to the side in a blink of an eye. It did this twice more, moving to our backs and to our front once again before finally stopping.

Black Waltz No. 2, a much bigger improvement than the first one. Instead of the hobbling and hunchback stature the first one had, this one was as straight as any line, though a bit diagonal as it was hovering in the air over us with dark blue wings that reminded me of an eagle's. A dark green robe and an altered pointy hat that had strange horn-like shapes on the side completed its look. Bright yellow eyes looked down on us chillingly, scanning the line-up of it possible enemies before focusing on Dagger. Everyone stared back at the mage, even Vivi, who has slightly recovered.

"Princess Garnet," It spoke with a hiss, bending down as if it was bowing. "The queen is waiting for you at the castle!"

"You were all sent by the castle!?" Zidane demanded as he stood between it and Dagger.

"What? What are you talking about?" Steiner asked.

"Alyssa and I fought one during the blizzard while everyone was out!" Zidane briefly explained to which I nodded.

"Yeah," I added. "It was also a Black Waltz, except smaller and probably dumbed down." The Black Waltz sneered at me and Zidane as soon as he heard that.

"You two are the ones who defeated No. 1? I am Black Waltz No. 2! My power, magic and speed make me far superior to No.1. Resistance is futile!" It said with absolute confidence. "Come princess," It held out an inviting hand. "The queen awaits!"

Dagger only stepped back. "No!" She replied defiantly. "I will not return to the castle!"

"Come with me, or you'll regret it!" It threatened, patience obviously running thin.

"Maybe you didn't hear her right." Blake stepped forth, but had Zidane in front of him as cover. "The kind princess said 'no'."

"Wait! I, Steiner, shall escort the princess back to the castle!" Steiner said to the flying mage, only for it to cackle at his words.

"You think I care?" Black Waltz No. 2 cackled. By then we had drawn out our weapons and held it at the ready. Blake stepped back to side alongside the princess with his chocobo in his grasp as he looked around, maybe trying to find some cover. "I won't let you stand in the way of my mission!"

With a mighty flap of its wings, dust flew into our eyes, making us use our forearms or hands as cover while it ascended. "Princess, stay right there while I kill the others!" It crowed right before sharply diving towards us.

Blake immediately ran out of dodge as soon as he saw it dive. I've managed to roll right out of the way of the Black Waltz. Dagger had run to a safe distance for cover from the mage's attack as Zidane and Steiner were barely able to avoid it. Vivi was unlucky that he wasn't good in reflex actions as the winged mage grabbed him by his coat and lifted him off the ground with one hand.

"Vivi!" I heard Zidane shout as he ran up to the Black Waltz. It didn't even turn its head when Zidane tried to cut it from behind. Before he could land the hit, it disappeared from his very eyes, only to reappear right on Steiner's side. It tossed Vivi into the arms of a surprised Steiner with such force that both men were sent toppling onto their backs a few feet away.

Since I was closest to it, I attacked with a side cut, but it did the same thing it did to Zidane. Disappearing from my front, it came back a moment later behind me and I felt a hand impact against my back. I tried spinning around with my sword hand extended to get a hit in, but the mage was once again gone. It reappeared farther in front of me and easily closed the distance between us and rammed me with his shoulders.

It was only playing with us at the moment. Its agility was inhumane and we can't react correctly. We needed to act fast before it decides to off us in an instant. "Target the wings!" I turned to the owner of the voice and found Blake near the large barrel, holding the chocobo close to his chest. "If you can ground it, then it'll be a more even playing field!"

"Silence you!" Black Waltz No. 2 ordered. It sent a quick Fire spell towards him and Blake dived to his left just to get away from it. Even though the barrel was the one burning and not him he was still in danger when the Black Waltz teleported right in front of him and grabbed him by the throat, making him drop the bird from his grasp.

Zidane and I started running towards it as Blake struggled in its grasp. I could see him desperately trying to get a hold of his weapon, but that proved difficult when you're basically one-handed and being strangled in the air. He stopped doing that and went with another course of action: he spat at its face, pulled down its hat and started kicking as hard as he can.

The Black Waltz didn't see that coming. Well actually he can't see anything right now. He immediately let go of the teenager and pushed up his hat while said teenager retrieved the black feathered chocobo and retreated to somewhere safe. He also didn't see me and Zidane nearing an attacking distance. I managed to get a large cut on where its stomach should be while Zidane slashed at his chest before it could pull away. Steiner came up from behind and cut at his back, barely missing his wings when the manufactured mage moved, but was still damaged. We weren't done yet.

"Zidane!" I called over to him and pointed up before cupping my hands together like a support stand. He got what I was trying to say, or I hope he did get it, as he backed up a bit before running at me. Sure enough he did as he stepped up onto my hands and I tossed him up as hard as I could. Zidane flew into the air with a hand reaching out as the Black Waltz finally got its hat off. It didn't notice Zidane grab onto its foot and acrobatically get on his back.

"Get off!" It yelled, swinging its arms wildly at Zidane. It wasn't able knock the thief off of him, but he did get off by kicking it downwards towards us after stabbing it in the back, right where his wings were connected.

It dropped to the ground and impacted hard against the grass-filled meadow. Blake sprung into action with his dagger and got on the Black Waltz's wing. He started stabbing random spots from the body to its wings, occasionally punching it in the back of its head. "This is for trying to strangle me! This is for dropping me like a sack of potatoes! This is for some other third thing!" He said to it with each punch he got in.

"Vivi!" I called out to our black mage. He had already pushed himself off the ground with the help of Steiner and was now looking at me. "Can you freeze its wings?"

"I can try." He nodded and started focusing on his magic through his staff. But the Black Waltz wouldn't be grounded for long as it used Fire on Blake to get him off of it. He started rolling on the ground in an attempt to put out the fire on his sleeve. After all the crazy stabbing Blake did, it looked like he just scratched its wings as it was still working.

Steiner, Zidane and I acted, hoping to distract it while Vivi readies up his spell. The three of us moved in with daggers and swords a-swinging with the Black Waltz backpedaling and dodging since it wasn't able to get back up into the air with us breathing down its neck. We were careful enough to not hit each other, yet we had a slight miscommunication when Steiner almost lopped off Zidane's head when the Black Waltz moved.

It capitalized on that by freezing Steiner's feet to the ground and then pushing me towards Zidane before using Thunder on both of us. The two of fell down as the current went through us, stunning us effectively. Even if we got bested for a moment, Vivi was still able to cast Blizzard on its wings. It didn't even flinch. It just turned around towards the black mage and glared at him.

"You call that a blizzard spell?" It asked as it drew in its arms like it was trying to squeeze a basketball, focusing its magic into a powerful attack.

"Move, Vivi!" I tried to shout, but the electricity introduced to my system was hard to recover from. Zidane was trying to stand while Steiner tried to dig out the ice using his sword.

"This is how you –"

"Ahhhhh!" I saw someone jump towards the Black Waltz, cutting him off from his usual line if Vivi uses a low level spell on him. It was Blake! He ran off the large barrel we were in earlier and jumped in an attempt to distract the Black Waltz from its attack and probably disable its wings.

While he did succeed in doing the first thing, he wasn't able to get a hold of the winged mage when it simply sidestepped him, making him land on the ground with a sick thud. Just think of someone belly flopping into a pool, but the pool is actually a field of land and the impact is a lot more painful. "Ow…" Blake groaned. That's gonna leave a mark.

The slight distraction was long enough for Steiner to break out of the ice. "Hurry, Master Vivi…" He came up to Vivi and tried to escort him to safety.

Black Waltz No. 2 didn't even miss a beat as it finished its Blizzara spell and launched it at our young black mage and the captain. They stood frozen in place momentarily like they were a pair of beautiful ice sculptures before the ice shattered and left them both gibbering and cold. The two dropped their weapons as they collapsed on the ground.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Dagger channeling her power momentarily with her rod in hand before swinging it. A white light shined over us for a moment before fading away. She casted a Cure spell on everyone. The feeling washed over me and I got physically better. I managed to stand on my feet without feeling static going up my spine.

"Thanks for that, Dagger!" I called to her. Zidane recovered with the help of the spell while Blake had received the effects of Dagger's magic only to continue lying down on the ground. Vivi and Steiner, however, were still on the ground, but they looked somewhat better than before. I think it's going to take more than a Cure to help them out.

The Black Waltz immediately glared at the princess before going back to work on us by breaking its wings out of its frosted prison with a simple Fire. It then started teleporting from one spot to another continuously as it was getting closer and closer. Dagger was working on another Cure for Vivi and Steiner while Zidane and I were back to back, trying to anticipate where the Black Waltz would end up. Both us were looking frantically at the places it used to be at.

"Dammit, it's too fast." Zidane said, frustrated.

"If only we can just get a hold of it for a second and cut off its wings." I replied with the same tone. The longer this fight goes on, the more difficult it would be to beat it.

Then I noticed that even as the Black Waltz got closer to us, it wasn't attacking us in the slightest. It was weird seeing that it was just moving about, but then I realized what it was doing.

"It's a distraction! Run for it!" I tried to tell Zidane, only for it not to reach him when we were engulfed in a blaze of fire. It was mildly hot at first with everything starting to get red all around me, and then the heat started building up until I could feel my skin starting to sear. I wanted to scream in pain, but it was over before I could open my mouth.

I dropped to the ground like a rock faster than I realized. My body felt like it had been left on the grill and was forgotten until it had been too late. The intense pain aching all over plus being almost barbequed made me want to die right then and there. Even if I felt like hell, I still fought to keep my wits about me.

Black Waltz No. 2 floated above us and laughed with satisfaction before looking at its next target: Dagger. It then hovered towards Dagger, who was trying to Cure us after seeing what had just happened, and took away her rod right after the spell did its magic to us. Despite her help, my body was still aching and burning from the damage the Black Waltz did. "It's time to go back, princess."

I blinked my eyes, trying to stay in the fight, as Dagger refused the mage's "kind offer". I failed to realize someone moving towards me. I moved my head to see who was running up an about. It was Blake, and he had something in his hand. He knelt beside me and I managed to get a good look of what that was. It was an open vial with glowing liquid in it.

"Here, drink this." He said to me as he put the open end of the vial to my mouth and helped me drink some it. After I managed to swallow some of it, I could feel its healing power starting to take effect. "You go ahead and drink that. I already gave Vivi, Steiner and Zidane Hi-Potions, so they'll recover in a bit. Meanwhile, I am going to initiate Plan C."

What? Plan C? What was Plan A and Plan B? When did Plan A and B happen?

I wasn't able to ask him these questions when he took hold of his dagger and charged on ahead, leaving me there holding to a hi-potion. With what remaining strength I had, I put the vial's opening against my mouth and started drinking it. The cool liquid soon worked its magic, but I still felt relatively weak though I can feel my body recovering faster.

I looked over to what Blake was doing and saw that he was running up behind Black Waltz No. 2. Is he crazy!? We already know that doesn't work. Even if I got to shout that out, it wouldn't help as our enemy just moved from his front to his back in a snap. Blake somewhat knew this was going to happen and immediately turned around, pointing his weapon at it as he stood beside the princess

"I believe the princess said 'no', twice." Blake told it. "Were you created with no manners or what?"

The Black Waltz looked at him for a second then laughed. "Ha ha ha! What do you plan on doing with a small weapon like that? Prick me to death? Ha ha ha!"

"I'm giving you a chance to surrender before I do something that would ruin your plans." He said, standing his ground.

"Highly unlikely! I will burn you to a crisp!" The flying mage readied its magic for what I think was another Fira at a single target.

Then in a surprising move, Blake reached out to his side, took Dagger by the wrist and pulled her up to him, putting the princess directly between him and the manufactured mage. "Blake!? What…!?" Dagger managed to say in surprise.

"Princess!" I heard Steiner shout as he saw what was happening.

"Uh, uh, uh." Blake waved his dagger in front of him and Dagger. This definitely got the Black Waltz's attention as it stopped its casting process. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said. It growled at him for having the gall of doing that.

"Blake…what are you doing…?" That was Dagger talking as she tried getting out of his grip. He has quite a grip for someone who can't lift a sword. She didn't know whether to be scared of the Black Waltz's power or whatever Blake had in store.

"I do all the talking here, princess." Blake told her, pressing his dagger against her neck. "And I would really appreciate it if you don't make any sudden movements." I could see his lips move some more, probably whispering to Dagger about his plan. When he stopped, I could see Dagger's attempt to wriggle free stop, but held on to his arm to maintain the illusion of a struggle.

Then the Black Waltz teleported behind the two and was about to attack, but Blake was smart enough to think that this would happen so he quickly turned around. It did this three more times, trying to go for different angles, only for Blake to respond by putting the princess between them, clearly sending a message that he will harm her. "I said no sudden movements! That counts for you too."

Is he crazy, threatening a Black Waltz all willy-nilly like that? Does he have a death wish or what? I can't believe Plan C is pointing a knife at Dagger…like a…madman…

Wait! I finally got what he's planning here. It's crazy, but I believe he's buying us time.

"Your mission is to bring the princess back, is that right?" He asked the mage in front of him. "Well, you seriously cannot bring back a dead princess. I mean you can, but that would defeat the whole purpose of even coming here to do so." He put his arm around Dagger's neck and readied his dagger near her face as he said this.

Oh, of course! He's thought this through obviously. In the game, Black Waltz No. 2 doesn't lay a finger on Dagger until everyone else is dead. He only puts her to sleep and nabs her, making it a game over for the player. He's exploiting our enemy's sole objective, and he's being an idiot about it! I can't believe he's crazy enough to do this!

"Tell me, why does the queen of Alexandria, the woman with all the power in her kingdom, send a monster like you to retrieve her daughter?" Blake was calmly talking with it, trying to get some answers out of it for Dagger.

"I don't answer to an insolent child like you!" It answered.

"Well you have to answer to this insolent child if you want Dagger unharmed, or maybe you want her delivered to the castle with a sliced throat?"

"What makes you think I'll listen to you?" It teleported closer for an attack. As a counter to this, Blake raised his weapon to Dagger's face and swiftly cut a small wound on her cheek. The princess yelped in pain, her knight in rusty armor cursing my friend while Black Waltz No. 2 stopped his attack.

"The next cut goes to her jugular!" He threatened.

I began to ignore Blake's words as I stealthily approached Vivi and Steiner, both who have drank the hi-potion Blake gave to them. They've already picked up their weapons and were ready to fight. Well, Steiner looked like he was ready to kill Blake the moment he gets close to him. "What is that criminal doing!? He has just attacked a member of the royal family!" He demanded to me. Even Vivi looked like he's unsure about the whole thing that was happening in front of him.

"Is he out of his mind?" Zidane approached us with a wary eye looking on at the situation Blake got himself into.

Blake's going to in so much hot water when we're done here. "It's part of his plan. Right now it's too focused on him." I tell Zidane and Steiner before turning to Vivi. "Vivi, we need you to freeze its wings again. Hopefully this time we can get it off its back."

"I-I'll try." Vivi replied.

"Me and Alyssa are gonna move from the side. Rusty, you get it from behind. It won't be able to act fast enough with its wings on ice." Zidane said to us. "Alright, everyone set?"

"My mission is to take back the princess! I will not be halted by a fool with a tiny knife!" That was the Black Waltz still at a stalemate with Blake. From where I was standing, I could hear all of what they were saying at the moment, and it seemed like our enemy is losing its patience.

"Mission this, mission that. That's all you keep talking about." Blake was having too much fun taking like that to a very dangerous enemy.

"Blake, please be civil." Dagger reasoned with him. Blake adjusted his right arm around the princess's neck, making her yelp.

"How about you surrender, Mr. Black Waltz? We both know how this is going to end."

"This will end with you and your friends burnt to ashes!"

I could see him raise an eyebrow at the threat and smile at him. "Oh, would you look at that?" Blake looked at an imaginary watch on his left wrist. "I believe your time has run out."

"What?" Black Waltz No. 2 only had a second to comprehend what he meant, and it was a second too late when a flash of ice suddenly formed around its wings, making it drop from the air and land on its feet awkwardly and drop Dagger's rod.

Zidane and I immediately jumped into action, rushing the mage from both sides with weapons ready to strike him down. It managed to get a glimpse of both of us and tried to dodge the two of us by jumping backwards. It got away from both of us, but it wasn't quick enough to evade Steiner's broadsword that sliced his frozen wings off his back with two mighty swings.

"NO!" It yelled. "I will not fail!" It even had the gall to say that when it was surrounded.

Too bad for him his dedication to his mission only got him where he was now. Zidane and I lunged at the Black Waltz, who was now bombarding us with Fire just to stop us, but Steiner cut him down from the back to stop the barrage while Zidane and I landed several attacks from the front. We executed a stab and slice combination, which I think was enough to kill it. Vivi finished it off with a Fire of his own right on the mark. Black Waltz No. 2 fell to the ground in a crumbling heap.

"Wh-Why…!?" It gasped at us as it writhed in pain and tried sit back up. Vivi quickly put it back down with a quick Fire to the face. Moments later, it finally lay on the ground, unmoving. It was finally over.

Black Waltz No. 2 was finally dead.

I gave out a breath of relief now that we don't have the second Black Waltz breathing down our necks. Now can we rest for a moment before we do anything else? That was a very difficult fight and I don't think I can stand any longer. I could feel my knees about to give…

"YOU!" Or we rest later. "YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR RECKLESSLY ENDANGERING THE PRINCESS AND FOR THREATENING A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY!" Steiner stomped towards Blake with a gloved finger pointed at him and his loud shouts aimed at him. Zidane and Vivi trailed a few feet from him, the former looking at my friend with a cautious eye and a hand hovering over one of his daggers while the latter relieved that the fight was over.

Blake stepped away from Dagger, put away his dagger and put his hands up in surrender, showing that he's smart enough to not want a fight with a very experienced swordsman. "Now, now captain. Let's not do anything you'd regret." He said nervously, taking a few steps back as Steiner approached. I guess all that calm bravado he showed during the confrontation with the Black Waltz ran out.

"I'D REGRET!? THE NERVE YOU HAVE TO SAY SUCH A THING!" The more Steiner shouted, the more likely he was going to pop a blood vessel.

"Let me explain..." He was interrupted when he was grabbed by his shirt by Steiner.

"THERE IS NO EXPLAINING OF POINTING A WEAPON IN THE FACE OF THE PRINCESS! HOW DARE YOU WOUND THE PRINCESS!?"

"Well, I can't really explain if you're shouting at my face like that!" Blake had to raise his voice a bit as Steiner shook him up a bit. "This is no way for a knight to behave!"

"Rusty, can you shut up for a sec and let him go!" Zidane finally intervened and forced the knight to release Blake, sending him to the ground on his behind.

"I am supposed to be protecting the princess; therefore I should bring this maniac into custody to prevent any similar scenarios like that from happening again!" Steiner argued. I looked at the princess and I could tell that she doesn't know whether to agree with Steiner or to let Blake have a moment to explain all of this.

"First off, I'm not a maniac. Second, would you like to hear my explanation?" Blake stated as he picked himself off the ground and dusted off his pants. There was a silence between all of us, though Steiner was growling at him, but the overall silence prompted Blake to continue. "Alright, let me start off by saying I'm terribly sorry for that little display, Dagger. I apologize for, well, what just Steiner had stated already. I'm also sorry for implying that I'd cut your throat and jugular. That was not a very nice mental image."

Dagger was quiet, still sporting that small cut Blake made. The blood that spilled out had already been wiped away by her glove. She looked like she was thinking over what she should say, but Blake went on. "Now the reason I did that was because it was part of a plan I formulated. Everyone was getting decimated and this brilliant idea just popped into my head, so I thought that it would be a good distraction."

"Because of their mission?" Zidane asked.

"Yeah. There's no way a rescue could be done if the person being rescued is still in danger. So I acted on that line of thought and put Dagger in danger deliberately so that the Black Waltz would be forced to focus on me. And since I was putting Dagger between me and it, it wasn't going to be able to harm me. It seems like an act of desperation, but it was the only thing that would give you guys enough time to get back up. And the good thing about it is that is worked."

"And what if it had not worked!? The princess would have been abducted and we would have been all dead!" Steiner retorted, harshly jabbing a finger on Blake's shoulder.

"You really should stop shouting like that. God knows what kind of damage you're putting on your vocal chords." Blake offhandedly commented, almost earning himself another vocal assault from Steiner, who ignored his advice. If it weren't for Zidane it would've happened. Blake looked back to Dagger and sighed.

"I know that it was a reckless move on my part, but I did what I had to do in order to delay it from killing us off. I just hope you can find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me." Blake said to her as she casted a Cure on herself, the cut on her face closing without much of a scar being left. Dagger was done with her silence and had stepped forward after taking a deep breath and aimed the sternest look she could make. Blake visually flinched at the intensity of her expression.

"What you did was very irresponsible and would have endangered everyone else if it hadn't worked," Dagger began to reprimand the teen, her words making Steiner at least satisfied now that Blake was being told off. "Not only was it stupid to hope that such a thing would work, it was dangerous acting like that, provoking a dangerous enemy and recklessly swinging your weapon and such. Your entire act could have gotten everyone killed!"

I could see Steiner nod along with a smile on his face. He sure was relishing this since he can't officially arrest Blake. Maybe one day, if Blake does another wild stunt like that when it involves Dagger being put in danger again, but it'll be too soon to tell with how he makes his battle plans.

"But…" Then his smile started to drop. "The immediate threat is now gone and we're all still alive, perhaps thanks to your wild plan."

"WHAT!?" That was Steiner reacting to what Dagger had said.

"Steiner, please!" Dagger's short statement made him stutter a bit. It's a miracle nobody here in Dali has already gathered around us and wondered what the ruckus was about. Heck, I'm not even sure why we haven't attracted enough attention during that fight.

"E-Excuse me, Your Highness, but is that it? Are you just going to shrug off his crimes just like that?" He asked, occasionally glancing at the teen, who was now smiling.

"For now. Blake did those things hoping it would help us, and it did." She gave him an understanding look. "I just hope next time you wouldn't resort to such crazy plans."

"Well, I promise to never deliberately endanger you ever again." Blake said with his right hand raised like he was taking an oath, yet somehow I feel that his promise doesn't sound so assuring for the others. Despite all that, Dagger accepted it as it was. He then waltzed off to the barrels while we discussed something else that was on our minds.

"Black Waltz No. 2…" That was Vivi absently saying the name of our recent enemy. The Black Waltz, along with the black mage dolls we saw underground—even though I knew they weren't just dolls—still troubled him. I understand why. Suddenly, there's this whole underground factory making things that look almost just like you. I'd be very troubled if that were to happen to me, hell the word 'troubled' won't be even enough to describe what I would be going through.

Now I just want to go over to Vivi and hug him and comfort him like there's no tomorrow. He'd need all the cheering up he could get.

…Speaking of troubled, Blake just went over to the dead body of our enemy and stabbed it in the face five times.

"Did my mother really send it to capture me…?" Dagger wondered aloud. Of course, Steiner immediately resisted going to that thought and said something along the lines of not trusting Zidane since he was the only one, aside from me of course, to encounter the first one.

"I can seriously vouch for Zidane." I said. "There really was another Black Waltz in the cavern and we barely beat it. He's not lying." I could see Zidane give me a thankful look just for that. Steiner may be able to call Zidane a liar, but not me.

Dagger then begins doubting herself and being not too careful with her cover, while Steiner tells her that nobody can really hide her noble upbringing. Zidane came to her defense that she's been trying hard to do so.

When that was done, we went back to the topic of border crossing with Zidane's main idea being us hitchhiking on the cargo ship that's headed to Alexandria. He thinks it's going to Lindblum, but that's not going to matter anyway. We're basically hijacking a cargo ship.

This is so illegal in so many ways, and we have Steiner breathing down our necks while we think of doing this.

But before we could set out and get on it, Zidane suggested that we take a breather for a sec. Thank you so much! I really, really, really need some rest. He thought it would be best since the darn thing wasn't even on yet.

"Okay, let's head back to the village." Zidane told us, and nobody complained.

"Dibs on a bed!" Blake declared, running past us towards the inn, now with his little pet in his clutches once again.

Our troupe eventually arrived at the inn and was welcomed back with the sight of a still napping-on-the-job innkeeper. He stared in surprise at Vivi when Zidane woke him up and stuttered so much he wasn't able to come up with a coherent sentence until Zidane snapped him out of it. I could tell that he's mentally panicking about this whole thing.

All of us filed into the room given to us, which was still the same room with the four beds as before. Blake immediately dived into one before any of us could even decide which one to take. I guess he couldn't care less if someone doesn't get a bed or not, just as long as he has one. Can't say I blame him. After a long night of sleeping like he did last night, a bed would be the very high on his list of current needs.

I sat beside Vivi on one of the beds nearest to the door while Dagger and Zidane each got an individual bed. Blake was busy getting comfy on his bed while his little chick was trying to do the same thing. Poor Steiner was left with the little stool Blake used to sleep on. Well it's not like he's not going to complain about it. This is the same guy who slept while standing up right before we left for the Ice Cavern. I doubt a low stool would rip into his patience so easily.

We rested and lounged silently for a while. There was a slight feeling of uneasiness in the air, and I don't know how we should address it. I could see Vivi looking down on his lap while Dagger's eyes looked distant, both of them deep in thought. Both of them were still caught up with the revelation of the connection between Alexandria and black mages being made underground.

This was the beginning of Vivi questioning himself. Years back when I first played this game I thought that this was a very interesting way of kicking off the story with an event like this. But now I can see that it's a very difficult ordeal for someone that's only ten years old to go through. He's barely seen the world out of that cave he grew up in and now he's finding about his origins the hard way. Any normal ten year old would be worrying about other stuff, but not Vivi. He's having much bigger problems, one that's connected to the end of one world.

I put a hand on the black mage's shoulder without thinking. He looked up at me with those troubled eyes, which made me really want to cheer him up. How? I don't know. Maybe I should say something…

"Everything's gonna be alright, Vivi." I tell him. Even when I didn't say anything specific, he got what I was trying to say and nodded. I could see a small smile behind the veil of shadows underneath his hat and that was enough for me. I managed to lift his spirits a bit.

An hour had passed and half of the party was asleep. Blake was already out the moment he hit the bed, long before I had managed to say something to Vivi. His pet rested on his belly, also asleep. I'm kinda scared for it since it would get squished if Blake moves. Let's just hope he doesn't.

Dagger was sitting on her bed with a pillow to her back and a thoughtful expression on her face. Maybe I should say something encouraging to her too? But I don't really know what to say. I'd probably use the same line, but I think that won't be enough.

Steiner was alert on his stool with a constant eye on Blake and Zidane. It was easy for him to keep an eye out for both of them since they were asleep, but it tends to get boring. That didn't give him an excuse to sleep on the job though. He truly is a very patient man

Zidane, on the other hand, was also out, much to my surprise. Considering what we've experienced today—and what we're about to experience in a short while— some rest would be helpful even if it's just a short time.

Vivi fell asleep a few minutes later after I talked to him. I would have talked to him more, but I didn't know how to add to what I've already said. Plus, he needed his rest. I'm sure the next fight we're going to have is going to be more taxing than our recent one.

I was still awake, lying down at the bottom of the bed Vivi was using with my eyes directed to the wooden domed ceiling above. It was a good thing that Vivi was smaller than me, because the two of us wouldn't fit on the bed if he wasn't. I just lied there and stared at the ceiling for no apparent reason. I had nothing to think about like Dagger and Vivi, nor do I have some responsibility of protecting someone like Steiner.

Okay, I actually do, but all I can think of was how Blake and I got here and that guy with the maroon jacket and how do we get back? Everything about those three things all have questions upon questions that I can't answer alone. If only there was something or someone that can give me at least the tiniest of hints so I can get an idea to get my brain running for some answers.

Something tells me that being struck by lightning doesn't have the power to fling people into other dimensions. Plus, that man stuck out like a sore thumb; which makes me wonder that if he's in the game or not. If he is then how come I haven't noticed him until now? Getting out of the world of Final Fantasy IX doesn't sound so simple in the slightest when you have no idea on how to do that and having no leads to figure out how. Why do things have to be so complicated…?

There was a sudden rattle of metal that made me sit up. Dagger and I sat up instantaneously upon hearing the noise while the others just shifted, or in Blake's case snorted, in their sleep.

"Sorry…" Steiner apologized. "I just need to check on something. I will be back shortly." He gingerly made his way to the door while trying not to wake the others.

When he was gone, Dagger looked at me that meant something like 'What was that about?' All I could do was shrug, go back to lying down and hope that was enough to convince her that I had no idea.

It had been quite a while since we stepped into our room and right now I was being signaled by the universe –or by the plot— that things are about to pick up once again. With a sigh, I tried to tell myself that everything's going to be okay. We're still in the first disc and barely ten hours into the game. We're all well rested and armed enough for what's coming up. We're definitely ready.

Besides, what could possibly go wrong?


	17. These Boots Are Made For Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Third Waltz, A Dance in the Sky.

Of Lies and Fantasy  
Chapter 16: These Boots Are Made For Breaking, And That's Just What They'll Do

-Blake-

Oh sweet Heaven, this bed is pure bliss! I am so comfortable right now I could possibly die. My back, my neck and all of the other sore parts of my body would shout praises to the skies if they all had a mouth, so I'll just silently appreciate that I am on a bed right now. I just want to melt into this mattress! Whoever invented the bed should be awarded with a Nobel Prize for the best thing ever since sliced bread! I wish this would never end.

It hadn't even been a full minute before I fell into a delighted sleep, one that I deserved after what has happened recently. The last thing I think I heard was the soft 'kwehs' of baby chocobo as it stood on my body with its tiny legs. Those gentle, relaxing chirps…

Speaking of relaxing, I was having the time of my life just feeling like I'm floating while I slept. I don't know how many more praises I can offer to the bed, but I think I've already met my quota. Like if I can pick some place I could probably drown in, I'd pick a sea of beds. At least I'll be comfortable, right? I think I'm currently dreaming about drowning in a sea of beds of varying mattresses.

Before I could just revel in this joyful feeling that I was experiencing, my dreams begin to shift into something that made everything go sour.

_Change your fate…_

That phrase started to echo inside my head. The source was nowhere to be found.

_Change your fate…_

The sea of beds started to part like the Red Sea for Moses. I looked toward the horizon in front of me and found nothing but an ongoing road with mattresses for walls. Behind me was practically the same thing.

_Change your fate…_

The voice got louder and louder like a lumbering giant gaining momentum as it chased a rat. It got to the point that I had to cover my ears because the volume was so intense my eardrums were about to burst.

_Change your fate…_

_Change…_

"Blake! Blake, wake up!"

My eyes bolted open and my breathing was suddenly labored. It only took a second for my sights to focus on the girl standing to my side, looking down on me with a hand touching my shoulder. It was Alyssa. She was waking me up, obviously, but she had her eyebrows furrowed like she was worrying about something I don't know.

"I'm awake," I bolted up, my voice sounding a bit accented due to the surprise. "I'm awake," I repeated, this time sounding more of a yawn. I looked at her and realized that she had this shocked look on her face. "What?"

I heard a 'kweh' somewhere in front of me and that almost made me cringe. It was in Alyssa's hand and was making a lot of noises. Did it get hurt while I was asleep?

"You alright there, buddy?" I said to it as it jumped from Ayssa's hand to mine.

"I was getting worried about the little guy here. Thought it might get squished cause you kept moving," Alyssa told me.

"If that happened, I think we'd all have a free lunch," I smiled darkly. Her face paled at the thought. "Still a no for fried chicken?" It's fun messing with her. Plus, I wouldn't actually kill my pet just to eat something. I'd rather try cannibalism first before I go and kill something that looks at me like its own mother… or father, whichever you may prefer.

"A-Anyway," Alyssa started to say once she regained her composure. "You should get your stuff ready. Zidane's already outside and it looks like the cargo ship's about to move," She told me as she ran a finger over the baby chocobo's head. Her statement made me take a short glance around the room. Aside from me and her, Vivi was the only one with us as he was trying to get up from the bed he was on. The others were probably outside waiting for us to get our bearings before we leave.

I grabbed the satchel that was lying on my bed and made sure everything was inside, including my extra dagger and my little pouch of gil. The piece of paper that taunted me with the phrase from my nap was buried underneath the clutter, yet I was still able to see some of the writing on it. Ignoring the message, I closed the satchel, made sure my current dagger was on me, and then made my way outside with Alyssa and Vivi.

Zidane and Dagger were waiting for us behind the cargo ship, sharing a conversation that was perhaps about the ship itself and some other things. I don't know, I'm just drawing this information from what I remember about the game. The ladder that would lead us up into the ship interior stood tall. I would guess that if all five of us present were to stand on each other's shoulders and compare heights with the ladder, the ladder would probably win. It's definitely taller compared to its videogame version, but this is not all about the height of the ladder. This is about our attempt to take the cargo ship for ourselves so that we may be able to travel to Lindblum.

All I can say is if this is really a dream then I'll be very glad if that were the case. If we were to do this in real life, I would probably get a life sentence for it. Though the more times I say it, the less confident I feel about this whole thing being a dream.

"There you guys are," Zidane said as soon as we stopped in front of him. "Let's start climbing. The airship's about to leave without us if we're not on it now." I wanted to point out that one of my hands was disabled and that I wouldn't be able to climb properly, but I knew from the get-go that I still need to get up the damn thing so I didn't bother. I'll just have to suck it up and do it. But because of said disabled hand, I had to lend my pet to Alyssa. She can hold it with her two capable hands while climbing up.

"You better not let it fall," I say to Alyssa, nodding to the chocobo in her clutches. She nodded before I could begin going up the ladder, with Vivi following right behind me.

Alyssa followed while the two behind her were talking about something—or someone—they may have forgotten. Steiner must've gone off like he does in the game and tries to persuade the crew of the ship to allow the group on. Speaking of him trying to persuade the crew of the ship, how does he react upon seeing them? Either I missed it several times or I'm just forgetful, but I think it wasn't shown as to how Steiner handled his first interaction with the kind of people on the ship.

I scooted over to the corner of the small platform and held on to the railing as I helped up Vivi to his feet. He uttered his thanks and stepped to the side as he was followed by Alyssa. I took my pet from her grasp as a priority, petting it softly as I took my place in another corner. Right now Alyssa's giving me the evil eye just for helping my pet.

God, I need to name this thing fast. I'm getting tired of referring to it as 'my pet' or 'the little chocobo'.

Before I could manage to process any possible names for it, I hear Dagger's voice yelp. Cue being felt up by the thief. Yeah…Stay classy, Zidane.

The two were exchanging a few words between each other regarding their little 'incident', which obviously Dagger was exceptionally mad at the thief. The rest of us could just watch the two go on, but the cargo ship started to move and turn, making everyone hold on to the railing. We all watched as we felt the ship roll for a certain distance on the meadow just outside the small village like it was its own runway. The ship started pulling up to a certain degree until we were gliding across the sky. We were already in the air before we ran out of land.

It was quite the breathtaking experience to see a liftoff like that—metaphorically and literally.

"Come on, it's not like I did it on purpose," Zidane tried reasoning with Dagger

"Please, enough," Dagger's only reply was to turn down Zidane's poor excuse. The three of us who were not involved in the conversation looked down to the ground and… whoa… that's very…. high. It's like I'm looking at… a map… I think my mouth just went dry…

"Are you okay, Vivi?" Zidane turned to the black mage once he realized he was being ignored.

"Feels like I'm going to get sucked into the sky..." Vivi answered whilst looking down.

"I think something else is going to get sucked into the sky if we stay out here," Alyssa said, nodding to my direction. I noticed that I had practically shoved the chick in my hand into my chest. Yeah, it's going to get blown out of my hand if I didn't do that.

"Let's go inside, everyone," Dagger steps forward and opens the door to the inside of the ship. We all let Vivi go in first and I immediately followed.

It didn't even take ten paces for Vivi to suddenly stop in front of me, almost making me trip over him. "Whoa!" I was able to balance myself and avoid falling over when I felt someone else bump into me. It wasn't hard to guess that it was Alyssa.

"Vivi?" That was her trying to sound concerned.

Even with his back turned against us, it wasn't that hard to imagine our young black mage standing there with his yellow eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Someone else who was surprised to see this too was Dagger, who gasped upon seeing what was in front of us. Alyssa and I followed suit just so we can keep appearances.

There were black mages in front of us. Black Mages as in the ones dressed in black coats, white pants, gloves and a pointy hat just like Vivi's and the ones being made in the factory below Dali. They were walking around, working on the machinery of the cargo ship and made sure that it was going to be flying until it reaches its destination. A second later, we hear a door open behind us and Dagger's voice calling to Zidane. Vivi, on the other hand, had already gathered his wits about him and stepped up to the nearest black mage and tried to talk to it.

Soon, Zidane and Dagger came back and the thief was as surprised as the two upon seeing what was happening in front of him. "Wow, they're alive, and they're moving around!" He managed to say as he looked in front and above him. There were other black mages walking up and down certain walkways above us, doing things to keep the ship afloat and the machinery running. "So, the ones built in the village bring back the new ones?"

"Oh Vivi…" Dagger muttered as we witness him making a one-sided conversation with the black mage in front of him.

"Vivi!" Zidane called for the black mage, but he just kept on trying to talk to the nearest waking doll. He would follow it whenever it would move from location to location, busy minding its programmed job instead of noticing the young boy behind it. "Vivi!"

After numerous attempts on his behalf and being ignored, Vivi just slumped. He walked towards our way looking defeated. "Were you able to talk to any of them?" Zidane asked as he approached.

You know Zidane, that is a wonderful observation. Perhaps you may want to pay attention next time you see our vulnerable black mage be ignored multiple times by lifeless dolls when it's happening right in front of you.

"No…" Vivi replied with a shake of his head, his eyes still looking down on the wooden floor, his voice trembling a bit. "It's like…they don't even…see me at all…I tried…again and again…but…they won't even turn around…"

"I wonder what's making them so unresponsive," Alyssa mumbled as she observed the other black mages. They really are unresponsive, so much that it could only match the Grenadier Guards of the British Army when it comes to being impassive to other people.

Zidane turned to the rest of us and pointed over to the ladder on the far side. "I need to go upstairs for a little bit. I gotta turn the ship around before it reaches the castle," He told us.

"Don't you need to have certified documentation to be able to fly this thing?" I asked the thief.

"It's not that hard to fly an airship," He replied easily.

"Have you ever flown one before?"

"Once or twice…" That kind of response is something one should not hear from someone who is about to drive a car, or in this case fly an airship. "Relax. I have it under control."

"Just make sure to not crash us against a cliff."

"We'll keep an eye on Vivi while you're up there." That was Alyssa trying to change the subject. I guess she didn't like the thought of an airship crashing against the side of a cliff to be nice.

So Zidane went topside to go and take control of the cargo ship while we were left to give Vivi some support. Dagger and Alyssa were doing that, trying their best to cheer him up, while I looked outside through one of the porthole windows on the side. Our cargo ship slowly drifted through clouds at a leisurely pace. Just looking out at the view of the passing cliffs and the occasional airship with the humming of various machines behind and above me was somewhat relaxing.

The mindless black mages minded their own business and totally ignored the rest of us. Regardless of their current impassive personality, they still did their jobs well. Though, I had to hold my chocobo close to my chest and get out of their way so that the walking dolls don't knock me over and accidentally step on my pet. We wouldn't want that now, do we? Side note: Is it just me or did the chocobo grow more feathers after a single day?

Speaking of dolls, the third Black Waltz is coming. We're about to have another confrontation with the last enemy the castle is going to send our direction. Well, last for the time being. Just remembering that FMV in the game when the other black mages stand up against it and get fried for their efforts is sending chills down my spine.

"Hey," I hear Alyssa coming over to me; her voice's tone was low to keep Dagger and Vivi from hearing. They were just some few feet away from us so it doesn't hurt to be careful. "You feeling nervous? I saw you shudder just now."

I turned away from the porthole window and sighed. "Honestly, I do feel a bit nervous," I confessed as I kept my voice as low as hers. "This next fight isn't going to be easy. Dagger won't be there for any protection I may want to use."

"You know, after Steiner gave you one heck of a shouting I was thinking that you'd want to avoid plans like that," She said with a shake of her head. "Plans like that are…"

"Unnecessary?" I tried to finish.

"…Crazy." Oh thanks for having confidence in my brilliant plans. "It's not that I don't have any confidence in your plans. I think you just need to use ideas that aren't very dangerous."

"Well next time, you try formulating a life-saving plan that also defeats the enemy at the same time while I blindly rush in swinging my weapon with the overall coordination of seaweed, hoping that I can manage to fatally nick the guy."

"No need to be sarcastic about it." There was a beat of silence after that. I was about to turn around and look back out to the clouds when she spoke again. "Me too. I'm nervous."

Then I probably had the brightest idea that I could have ever thought of. "Here's a thought. How about we just hide in here while the rest of them battle the Black Waltz? It sure is a whole lot better than fighting alongside everyone."

My suggestion was met with a frown. "That's a horrible idea."

"It's not that horrible," I countered. "It's a basic and simple plan. We hide with these other fine black mages as they operate the ship. Zidane and the others won't think badly of us if we can convince them that we were only helping the mages. Besides, that would stop me from making other stupid plans."

She dismisses my idea and goes on to admonish me for even suggesting such a thing. "The others are going to need as much help as they could get. We can't just hide down here because we're afraid of getting killed. We're not cowards just as that fight with the second Black Waltz proved. We can fight. We HAVE to fight."

"No, we don't. They have to fight. I certainly don't have to and you certainly don't have to. The two of us don't have an obligation to participate." I looked back into the porthole window and look down on a passing cliff. "Just because we know when to fight and not to fight doesn't mean cowardice."

"Still," Alyssa insisted. "We have to help them. It's the only thing we can do right now."

"Don't you understand? There are consequences, big and possibly fatal consequences, if we try to play hero out there. It's reckless and would do nothing for our cause."

She crossed her arms. "Reckless? That sounds incredibly smart coming from you."

I ignored her statement and tried to move to a different topic. "Besides, we have other things to worry about. A lot of things…"

It didn't even take a moment for her to speak up about what I implied, "Like MJM?"

"Uh…what?" Okay, she didn't instantly know what I was talking about. Way to derail the conversation…

"Don't you remember? He's the guy Zidane, Dagger, Vivi and I encountered in Dali," She stated. "He was in the underground facility. Didn't you listen to what we said earlier? MJM for Maroon Jacket Man. Do you know anything about a man in a maroon jacket in the game?"

I racked my brain for something about Alyssa's mystery man in maroon. I tried recalling anything related to side missions since I'm pretty sure there was no such guy in the main storyline that wore such an odd choice of color and came out with nothing. Even Kuja wouldn't pick that color to go along with his drapes even if he was blindfolded and had to spin around ten times. That color would never be picked.

Perhaps this guy was a random bystander? But how can that be if I take into account that Alyssa described this guy as in league with the factory workers in Dali? There's no way a random bystander would be like that… This guy is a total mystery it seems.

"I got nothing," I shrugged. I could tell that this bit of news also disappointed her. "I'd suggest that this guy was merely a hallucination on a normal day, but we're beyond normal days right now. Anyway, that guy isn't what I wanted to talk about. I was talking about going home."

"Going home?" The addition of a new voice in the conversation made me stiffen. If that was my reaction I don't know how Alyssa reacted to that. We both turned around and saw Dagger standing there, curious as to what we were doing. Vivi was right behind her, still a bit overcome by sadness.

"Uh…" That was Alyssa blanking out. Thanks for helping me cover this whole shebang up. I cleared my throat and started lying.

"Yes, Your Highness, going home. I didn't mention that I live in Lindblum, did I?"

Dagger took a moment to remember if I did mention it, and ignore that I called her 'Your Highness', before replying. "I think this is the first time you've spoken about this."

"Well… I haven't been home for a very long time. Being a salesman requires me to wander around the continent for new and old clients. So this is going to be the first after a long time, going back home like the victorious hometown hero." I told her, circling everyone as I spoke while sounding a bit into my own shtick. "If only they can make parades for salesmen…" I sighed.

Alyssa just shook her head at me while Dagger kind of understood what I was trying to get across. "A-Anyway," Alyssa tried to insert herself into the conversation. "I wonder how Zidane is with the whole 'turning the ship around' thing."

All of us then simultaneously looked over to the hatch at the end of the hall and wondered about the answer for that question. Dagger and Vivi did all of the wondering actually. Alyssa and I just imitated them just to maintain our identities.

Alright, crisis averted. I managed to get my butt out of unveiling information that would shock anyone who does not exist in the real world. Dagger is satisfied with my answer and she's none the wiser about it, all thanks with some help from Alyssa, who just provided support from the sidelines. Maybe next time she needs help in getting out of a situation that needed lying I should just stand aside and let her do the work. Besides, she needs the learning experience – _WHOA_!

The ship just suddenly lurched to the side, making the rest of us stumble over to the wall. I impacted against the hardwood wall with a thud while everyone else managed to put their hands and arms out to soften the collision. I'm sure to feel that in the morning. During our physical argument with the laws of gravity, the black mage dolls just stood there with their hands on their sides after stopping whatever they were doing. They shifted their gaze to the hatch in a sort of slow but intimidating manner.

"What's going on?" Vivi asked the three of us.

"Whatever it is, I think it just made them mad," Alyssa answered, pointing over to the dolls that started gathering around the ladder to the hatch leading upstairs. Some of them climbed up while the others just waited around it for their turn to climb. Even though they're mindless dolls now they sure were nice enough to have manners. "C'mon, let's go check it out." Dagger and Vivi nodded.

The princess led the way towards the crowd of black mage dolls and was the first to attempt in getting past them, only to fail in doing so. Alyssa tried to negotiate with some of them with kind words, but was ignored. I used the only remaining logical choice we had left: force.

I had to hand someone my chocobo for me like a girl would in regards to her handbag. I stepped up and physically attempted to pull apart the dolls away from completely blocking our way. That method worked only as much as anyone would've predicted. I wasn't even able to pull one of them away. The one I tried to pry away from the group just looked at me blankly, as if its eyes had this piercing look that portrayed pity on me.

After I was done with my turn, the same doll looked past me and saw Vivi trying to get the chocobo in his hands to behave. It stared at him for the longest time and it wasn't long for the others to do the same thing, as in all of the black mage dolls in the same floor as we were started doing it too. I had to take away the chocobo before he even noticed the staring.

Vivi ironically stood there now that he had their undivided attention, currently at a loss for words. You have no idea how awkward it was for me, Alyssa and Dagger to be even witnessing such a thing. The two girls looked a bit unnerved by the wordless staring. I guess I have to do something here.

"Uh…Vivi, maybe you'd like to say something now that they notice you," I suggested to the black mage with a positive-sounding chirp from my chocobo.

I don't know if that was a very good idea or not, but Vivi eventually nodded at me and stepped forward. He adjusted his hat nervously and tried to find his voice in the midst of the other staring black mages. "Uh…Excuse…us…?" Vivi began, sounding very anxious of any reaction from the others. "We just want to see what's happening outside."

There was an awkward silence for a moment as soon as Vivi finished speaking, but as if in shared agreement, the mages started to move aside, providing a small path to the ladder. Vivi nervously went up first while we lined up behind him as he climbed up first. All four of us eventually exited through the hatch with the wind greeting us with a breeze blowing against us and a view of the cliffs and the Mist-blanketed surface below them.

As Alyssa was gently putting down the hatch while the other black mages continued staring at us from below the ship, we were welcomed with the sight of Zidane making a ruckus behind the wheel that was controlling the cargo ship while Steiner shouted at him and at the same time tried to catch him as a few black mages looked on. "Is that…?" Vivi started to ask.

"Steiner! Thank goodness we didn't leave him behind," Dagger sighed in relief.

"I think he was the one trying to leave us behind," I jokingly said.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to do that," Alyssa defended the captain as she was pushing down on the hatch to fully close it. "Besides, Zidane would miss his booming voice if—AH!" She yelped. At the same time, we heard something touch down right behind us.

When we turned around, we were met with the antagonistic sneer of Black Waltz No. 3

If there's one thing I can say about Black Waltz No. 3, I'd say that he's intimidating. Sure, most mages are stereotyped as the easily defeated individuals in a party when it comes to physical confrontation, but just looking at Black Waltz No. 3 just chucks that whole stereotype out of the window. He stood there with this menacing look in his orange eyes with his black mage signature pointy hat and a very distinct and extravagant-looking coat with a feathered collar along with white pants and a tall staff that had a yellow figure on the top that looked like a letter "U" in his hand. Was it a "U" or an eagle? I am not so sure.

Alyssa had to crawl away from the Black Waltz a second after it had just attempted to fry Vivi with a simple Thunder spell cast from his hand in order to avoid being shocked. "Vivi! Are you okay!?" She called out for the harmed boy.

"So, No. 2 was defeated by a small child!" Black Waltz No. 3 said. "You are no match against my power!" He flapped his wings once, displaying the eagle-like shape of his blue wings while making electricity collect on the top of his staff. "Kwahahaha! Princess, stay right there while I eliminate this child"

Then Dagger noticed something else happening. "The other black mages are coming over here."

"Oh no…" Alyssa uttered with a look of fear on her face. We both know what was going to happen next, and we both don't like any of it.

"Okay, I think we need to back up to where Zidane and Steiner are," I quietly suggested to the others as Dagger helped up Vivi to his feet while curing some of the burns inflicted by the thunder spell. The black mages were starting to line up in front of Black Waltz No. 3, forming a wall between him and us. I tried ushering Alyssa back to the small cabin where the others were heading, but she suddenly ducked under my arm and went to the front of the black mage group. "What the…!? Hey!"

"Are you protecting him?" The Black Waltz demanded from the manufactured dolls.

"Everyone, we need to get back! Um…there's an emergency! Just…go back to your…uh…stations! There's no problem here! Come on!" She tried to get the mages' attention by grabbing onto them and pushing them back, only for them to stay where they were.

"What is she doing?" I hissed under my breath as I looked on, trying to maintain my composure so the others won't see how irritated I am right now. Even the others had that same sentence plainly written on their face. Just what in the hell is she trying to accomplish standing there and trying to talk them into following her!?

"…Nonsense. You are no different from mindless dolls! What can you do?" It told the group of black mages as they started focusing their magic into their hands. Balls of fire started forming on the palm of their gloves, an implied threat was aimed towards the superior mage.

"Please! Listen to me!" Alyssa attempted once again, but the growing anxiety her body language was throwing all over the place was making it obvious that she was failing.

Black Waltz No. 3 straightened himself and chuckled evilly. "None of your words will reach their empty minds. Your attempts are pathetic!" Then he turned to the ones that he thought were more of a legitimate threat. "As for all of you, get out of the way! Do you dare fight a Black Waltz?"

"Don't you dare hurt them!" She drew her sword and pointed it at the Black Waltz.

"Alyssa, get out of there!" Dagger shouted from where we were. Something in me just wanted to run over and pull her away from the danger she put herself into, yet I didn't. She dug herself into this hole and now she has to find a way out herself.

When one of the mages threw the fireball in its hands, the third manufactured mage simply sidestepped it and sneered at the doll that tried to attack him. "I said, get out of the way!" The electricity that was being stored by the Black Waltz cracked with power as he shouted at the mindless dolls.

Then everything started to go in slow motion.

The winged mage sent by the queen of Alexandria focused his magic on the group of black mages standing defiantly in front of him. A simple Thundara was what he was doing. But things were always never that simple, even for the bad guys. The girl dressed in overalls stood in front of the two fighting groups, her aim, as to what I have guessed by now, was to prevent the death of many black mages from the onslaught of the powerful killer in front of her. And she wanted to do it even if it killed her.

I was shouting something from where I was stationed currently whilst holding onto the chocobo in my able arm, the same goes for Dagger. She had her hands on Vivi's shoulders, probably forgotten after she had dragged him behind the wheel of the cargo ship. Steiner was evidently putting himself between the princess and whatever was happening in front of them. Zidane… he wasn't there anymore.

It wasn't until the last minute when I noticed him diving from the ropes hanging from the side, tackling Alyssa to the side just as the Thundara from the staff went off. A static explosion sent the two crashing against the side of the bridge as the powerful electrical current went through the bodies of the lifeless dolls, sending some of them flying to various direction with only one destination: the ground more than a thousand feet below the airship.

Glass shattered, electricity cracked, fire burned, pieces of wood splintered off the floor, barrels dropped from their secured locations on the ship and bodies of dead or barely conscious mages flew… everything happened in slow motion. A violent, traumatizing slow motion… and it happened right before our eyes.

Vivi was backing away from the edge of the ship as he saw a barrel of the black mages that were designed like him fall into the Mist below us, an unfortunate end meeting them all even before their lives started.

"Wh-What cruelty!" Steiner managed to say after witnessing the brutality. Zidane and Alyssa had just scrambled back to our little cabin, both having their fair share of cuts and burns just from having the best seats in the house for experiencing what I would call a live crime scene.

"What in the hell is wrong with you!?" I snapped at the girl in overalls as I marched right in front of her. "What were you trying to accomplish with that stunt!?"

"Sorry…" She barely managed as her voice shook. "I was just…"

"Hey lay off, will you?" Zidane interfered, stepping between me and Alyssa just when I was about to say something else. Right then I just realized that I was overreacting. In my mind I wasn't, but Zidane's tone when he slipped in between me and Alyssa made it more evident that I was.

Why was I overreacting anyway? Simple, she would have died because of her idiotic actions. I mean, why in the world would she step between a group of powerful black magic wielding dolls and a much more powerful mage with wings that have control over stronger black magic? Granted, she was trying to save a few lives, even though said lives would not hesitate in taking hers later, but that still doesn't necessitate her "heroic" attempt.

…And I use the term "heroic" very loosely.

"Fine," I backed off after rationalizing that and ending my train of thought myself. "I was just… worried." I didn't want to say that last thing, but I'm sure the others would grill me for my reaction later if I didn't have an explanation.

But back to the situation at hand…

Black Waltz No. 3 stood over the carnage he had just caused. Okay, to put it more accurately, he hovered above it. Even behind the shadow that was hiding his face, I could see this twisted smile forming and it made my stomach turn. That was the kind of smile serial killers have on their faces just as they are dragged off to prison right after they admit to killing those poor victims. He aimed that smirk at us as if to challenge us to step up.

From the corner of my eye I could see Vivi shake underneath the gaze of the Black Waltz, but he wasn't shaking out of fear, he was shaking out of anger. "Aaaaaahhhh!" With one mighty bellow, Vivi shook Dagger's hands away from his shoulders and ran out to confront the enemy. Wait. Something's wrong here…

"Master Vivi, I shall assist you!" Steiner cried as he followed closely behind the black mage.

"Hey, you guys!" Zidane shouted after the two, knowing that their course of action was dangerous. He skidded to a stop and let out a gasp of pain.

"Wait, Zidane." Dagger called out. Shortly after she approached the thief, a white light covered him for a moment before vanishing. Dagger cured him of the burns and wounds he might have gotten from the rescue and then did the same thing to Alyssa.

"Thanks Dagger," both of them said. With that, Alyssa tightened the hold she had on her sword and went to accompany Steiner and Vivi. I guess she really is fighting in this one. I, on the other hand, just stayed right where I was with my chocobo wiggling in my arms.

"We'll take care of the Black Waltz. You steer the ship." Zidane said as he guided Dagger to the wheel. "Things are gonna get even more dangerous from here on. It's not too late to turn back. You can go back to the castle or cross South Gate into Lindblum. It's your choice." Dagger only nodded in response as she took hold of the wheel as Zidane continued. "I'll be with you either way! But try not to crash the ship!"

"That sure is helpful advice for someone who's piloted an airship for the first time." I remarked behind the two with an accompanying 'kweh' from the chocobo. Zidane then turned to me as he held onto his daggers.

"What about you? What are you going to do?" He asked.

I pretended to give it a thought by looking above me. I already knew what I was going to do and I was going to stick to it. "I think I will be staying here. I have already exceeded today's quota for crazy plans. You know, saving some of them for a later time."

"Alright," Zidane said. "Keep an eye on Dagger here."

"Don't worry about her. Worry about the thing that's trying to kill us," I told him. He nodded before running to the side of the others. I could see some uncertainty on Dagger's features when I glanced at her. "Have faith, princess. They're not going to die easily."

She glanced at me with a hint of confusion. "Why do you sound like their fate is already set in stone?"

I gave her a shrug and tried to point out what's already in front of her. I obviously cannot tell her that I know how this battle ends. "It's four against one. We're playing the numbers game and I'm sure we have an advantage." Besides, it is too early for anyone to die right now. We're still on the first disc.

"We had an advantage on the second Black Waltz and that proved to be difficult."

"Everything is difficult, princess. We still defeated Black Waltz No. 2. With odds like that, I'm sure our advantage will hold out in the end."

Right now, the others were shouting and demanding things from Black Waltz No. 3 with the manufactured mage only giving heartless responses with the occasionally cackle and threat to their lives.

With all of their weapons were out and pointed to the enemy, he only flapped his wings and raised his staff. "I will eliminate any who stand in my way!"

The first move was made when the Black Waltz tried to fry the others with four fire spells at the same time, but they each got out of the way of the spell and went on to attack. Alyssa, Zidane and Steiner came towards the enemy, only to be halted when a wall of ice rose from the floor to stop them. Steiner and Alyssa were immediately stopped by it while Zidane managed to think on his feet and used Steiner as a stepping stone by jumping on his back and used the knight's height as leverage to jump over the wall. Vivi blasted the ice with his own fire and made it possible for the two to continue towards the enemy. Zidane tried to take a slice out of the Black Waltz, but was blocked with his long staff. A fire spell shot out of the mage's hand and knocked back Zidane, singeing some part of his clothes and probably some of his blond hair.

"You are no match against me and the caliber of my magic!" He taunted the two sword handlers as they came back into play and both swung their respective swords at the third manufactured mage. It connected with nothing as the Black Waltz jumped up into the air and stayed there, flapping his wings to stay in midair, which was unfair since none of the members of Team Protagonist can fly.

Zidane tried to rectify this little complication by jumping on the edge of the barrier that kept everyone from falling off the cargo ship and onto the rope tying the ship to the zeppelin-like balloon above our heads. He climbed quickly as the winged magus cackled while raining down fire spells at Alyssa and Steiner. Vivi took its attention with a thunder spell from his hands, nicking the Black Waltz on the shoulder before he retaliated with a Thundara of his own. When he was noticed, a quick gesture made it clear that he was readying a spell towards the thief. Zidane jumped away from the ropes as a Thundara spell zapped past him and dived towards the mage, catching him with one of his daggers implanted on the side, making him shout in pain.

"Agh! You will pay for that you little pest!" He yelled. With the Black Waltz back on even ground, Vivi assisted Steiner by layering Steiner's sword with his fire spell, making his attack hurt a lot more when a small burst of fire overtook the enemy. He immediately remedied it by casting blizzard on the wound, cooling himself down. Alyssa lunged from the side and brought her sword up in an attempt to cut him down while the Black Waltz sidestepped, only for the girl to redirect her own momentum to complete a midair twirl, giving him a huge cut on his torso.

He kicked her back and knocked her back further by hitting her with his staff right on the stomach. The third powerful manmade weapon was about to launch a Thundara right towards Alyssa, but wasn't able to finish his casting when Steiner cut in with his sword, almost dismembering his arm off. The Black Waltz swung his staff and connected with the side of the knight. He was able to absorb the blow through the use of his armor, only to feel a sudden fiery sensation when it was immediately followed up by a Fira, blowing the knight away towards the feet of Vivi.

"Rusty!" Zidane cried when he saw this happen. Alyssa was already on Steiner with a potion vial in her hands while Vivi casted Fire against the Black Waltz, covering Zidane as he advanced. The enemy saw this coming as he prepared another Blizzara spell as Zidane closed the gap between them. Zidane attempted to cut away at him, but the Black Waltz leaped into the air and hovered above him before casting Blizzara on the thief. The part-time stage actor was then encased in ice as he tried to shield himself with his arms, making him look like a nice sculpture before it cracked and collapsed, leaving Zidane in a shivering heap.

"Cover me, Vivi," Alyssa called out. "I need to get to Zidane."

Vivi nodded as the Black Waltz prepped another spell in his hands. He knocked him off-balance with a thunder aimed to miss on purpose. It roused some anger from the enemy as he retaliated with some blizzards while Vivi countered with fire. Meanwhile, Alyssa ducked low and rushed over to Zidane. It would have been bad if the Black Waltz noticed her now. They were directly underneath him, so if she was noticed she'd share that cold feeling Zidane was having right now.

She was trying to get him to respond by talking silently, and he did by shakily nodding. After downing the vial, he steadily got up and grabbed the attention of the enemy with the help of Alyssa, who propelled him into the air after a running start. Zidane took hold of the mage's coat, surprising him as he stopped hurling magic against our black mage. "Eat this!" He then smashed the vial that was still in his hands on the face of the winged monster.

The Black Waltz bellowed in pain, shoving Zidane off him as he tried to remove some of the shards of glass that got on his face and/or implanted in his eyes. Zidane landed on his feet beside Alyssa, Steiner and Vivi as the enemy still struggled with the pieces of the vial on his face. For me, this would have been the appropriate time for a pun regarding glass, but I wasn't able to come up with one because the Black Waltz started blindly bombarding everyone with his magic. Some of them even came close to hitting where Dagger and I were.

Right then I noticed one detail, the one thing that gave me a feeling that something was wrong, which was important for someone who has already played this game: Vivi hadn't Tranced yet.

I looked over in the battlefield as Vivi countered with spells of his own against the castle's homemade lapdog whilst the others tried to wound him while he was on the ground. Why wasn't he in Trance? Shouldn't he be in Trance during this fight? What the hell is going on? He should be full of anger from what Black Waltz No. 3's actions against the mindless black mages and he should be taking that anger out on him with a barrage of black magic, and that powerful surge of emotion should power him up, not like this…

Before I was able to finish that train of thought, however, there was an explosion that shook the cargo ship. Smoke covered the front of the ship, preventing Dagger and I from seeing what had caused this new development. "Zidane, Steiner!" The princess called out.

"Vivi, Alyssa!" I followed suit.

It took a while for the smoke to clear, but when it did we both saw the third Black Waltz standing the in the middle with a fireball in his hands, Vivi and Zidane on the ground with Steiner and Alyssa barely able to stand in front of him. That last attacked must have wiped the thief and our black mage off the floor and rendered them unconscious.

Damn…I think everyone in this party needs to level grind.

"I'm surprised you managed to survive against the first two," Black Waltz No. 3 growled at the four, walking closer to them as he thought he had already won. "Your fluke victories end here. Watch princess, for I will rid you of your bodyguards." The fireball in his hand intensified, the look in his eyes spelled out the satisfaction he was drawing out in this. We all knew what was going to happen if he landed that attack: Vivi and Zidane might die, Alyssa and Steiner would follow them quickly and Dagger would be taken back to the castle.

Me? I'll just think that he'll leave me alone. Let's not think about negative thoughts now.

If he landed that attack, it would be game over. The adventure would have ended before it even got off the ground. Well… it did literally get off the ground, but you get my point. We've barely started and this is just the fourth boss fight. Maybe I can do something to disrupt his attack. I can't just run out there since that would take long. I know there's something I can do…but what?

I only had a definite idea when my gaze wandered over to Dagger, who was holding the wheel a bit too much.

"Sorry princess, but brace yourself." I uttered to myself before securing my chocobo against me. Then I got up and ran towards her. "Hold on to something everyone!"

"Wha—!?" She wasn't able to form a coherent sentence when I took hold of the wheel before forcing it to spin to one direction. The cargo ship swerved and dipped to the right away from the passing cliff. When I deemed that it was enough, I threw the wheel now to the opposite direction, making the ship swing, its side colliding with the cliff face.

This rocked the ship hard enough to toss out those who weren't prepared for it, meaning the Black Waltz found himself being tossed overboard unceremoniously by my actions. But that didn't let everyone get off for free. Zidane and Steiner almost tumbled off the ship, only to be rescued by a handful of the ropes and Alyssa respectively. Vivi slammed against the cabin with such force that it took the air out of him, and then some. Alyssa, apparently being the only one to have understood what I shouted, was only able to maintain her balance by stabbing her sword against the floor and bracing for impact.

Fortunately, that managed to buy us some time.

I slumped against the wheel, careful not to accidentally choke my chocobo against myself, as I hear Dagger approach. "Blake, what did I just tell you about resorting to crazy plans?"

"That wasn't part of any plan," I told her. "That was more of on-the-spot thinking." I pointed to the others and said, "They need your help, princess, since you know white magic and all."

Dagger sighs and shakes her head before running to the side of the others. I interpreted that as 'I am going to have a word with you once this is over'. I can't blame her since we had the same talk an hour or so earlier.

Our breather involved everyone getting healed by Dagger, all of them saying their respective 'thank you's to her while I kept a look out for the Black Waltz or South Gate, since that would mean we would be virtually safe if we pass through the gate. Safety would be great.

You know what else would be great? Vivi going Trance, which has not yet happened. Like, what the hell is going on? Did Alyssa and I do something wrong? Did our sudden existence in this (dream) world change—

Something landed right in front of me and I made the worst mistake of looking at him in the eye. Black Waltz No. 3 glowered at me at one moment and then I saw his unoccupied arm dart toward, occupying itself with my neck. A second later, he pulled me out of the window with the greatest of ease, making me shout almost an octave higher than my usual voice. Everyone whipped around with their weapons in hand whilst I tried to hang on for dear life, which was difficult when you only have one working arm and impromptu nest in my arms.

Now we have TWO problems: one is the most obvious one standing right before us, and the same one grabbing me by the throat; and two is that nobody is driving the cargo ship. With me in the hands of the Black Waltz, the wheel of the ship is unmanned and that could lead to a disaster.

Thankfully, that last problem I just mentioned was realized by the others as Zidane, Alyssa and Dagger tried to get past the manufactured minion while Steiner and Vivi combined forces to hold him back. I, on the other hand, tried to get myself away from the monster's grasp by driving my left thumb into his eye hard enough to make him let go. Upon landing on the floor ungracefully, I drew my dagger and took a few swings that were easily dodged.

While he was dodging my attacks, he flung a few lightning spells at the trio trying to get past him. It took a Blizzard Sword that nearly decapitated and frosted his head off for him to focus on the knight, though the added blizzard to that attack made him chill out, while Alyssa used this chance to get a hold of the wheel. She balanced the ship as her main objective before Dagger arrived at her side. Zidane assisted me in drawing the Black Waltz's attention with various strikes and swipes that I mostly missed. The overalls dressed girl switched with me in attacking with hers landing more often than mine.

"ENOUGH!" After being surrounded once again and almost on the way of being overwhelmed by the numbers, Black Waltz No. 3 drew in most of his power and focused it on his staff. He blocked Zidane and Steiner's attacks whilst keeping Vivi and Alyssa out of the way with two small, yet inaccurate fireballs.

"Guys! He's preparing a massive spell. Put him down or something!" I shouted at the others. The immediate response was them focusing their efforts in stopping the Black Waltz from releasing his attack.

But they were too late. He had stored enough magic and had kept the others at bay long enough for him to work on the spell. And without further interruption, he was able to cast it at them while I tried to shout warnings at them.

Black Waltz No. 3 slammed his staff against the ground and unleashed his attack. A wall of static electricity burst around the Black Waltz and enveloped the area around him with lightning, shocking his enemies thoroughly. At that moment, he intercepted every single one of our party's main attackers in one single attack. The only ones who weren't hit were Dagger and I, but just barely because I backpedalled so hard my back hit the end of the ship.

They all struggled to get up, pain probably overriding their senses while electricity ran through their system as they were all charged with lightning because of the attack. One of the ones trying to get up was Vivi, using his staff to support himself on his feet as the Black Waltz approached him.

"Why…?" Vivi breathlessly questioned him. "Why did you kill them? Why would you do such a thing!? Weren't they your friends!?" The answer he got from him was a dismissive shake of his head.

"You fool. Do I look like some lowly black mage soldier?" He countered, his voice sounding so demeaning towards the young mage.

"Even so," Steiner started to get up with some assistance from his sword. "If they weren't your allies, what you did was reprehensible!"

"Worry not about them; many more are being produced even as we speak." He cackled.

"They may be manufactured, but that doesn't excuse you from killing them!" Alyssa said as she looked up to the enemy. "That's still murder!"

The Black Waltz had started focusing on another thundara spell as he spoke the next words. "It does not matter anymore whether it is murder or not. You will all be dead by then. And I will have fulfilled my objective."

Oh man, we're waist deep in trouble once again. I could see South Gate in front of us so far in the distance, but that's still miles away right now. What I need to do right now is to swoop in and take out the Black Waltz while he had his back at me. A very simple concept, easy to pull off if you have light feet and a very graceful stance, which I obviously don't have. "Dagger," I whispered over to the direction of our resident white mage. "Try to heal everyone while I execute Plan D." That meant she was tasked on healing Zidane.

"Will this plan of yours have anyone put in unnecessary risk?" She asked in the same tone I was doing.

"Not you, that's for sure." I replied as I put the chocobo down on the ground, mouthing a 'Stay' to it while pointing to the ground. I have no idea if that was understood or not. Here's to hoping it got through to it. I then started to carry out Plan D by putting my foot on the now-glassless window panel right in front of Dagger.

"What are you doing!?" She hissed, completely concerned about this plan I had. I merely put a finger on my lips, the universal sign for 'silence', as I climbed on top of the cabin. Climbing said cabin was easier said than done since I have never done a pull up in my life and it was made more difficult by my well known handicap. No, it's not my lack of upper body strength. It's my right arm.

Okay, there was this one time in PE, but that was a lifetime ago, so I think it makes perfect sense if I maintain the belief that I have never done so. Nevertheless, I still managed to get on top of the thing that resulted in me getting really winded as my shoulders and arm muscles started to get sore. Plan D, in my head, is a very simple thing to do: First, I secure a high platform, hence me climbing on top of the cabin. Second, make sure my target is near. Third, get a running start. And lastly fourth, jump on the Black Waltz and start stabbing away.

Fine, when I said that no one would be put in unnecessary risk, I meant no one as in 'no one dumb enough' would be put in unnecessary risk. I do not belong in that category since I've thought this out in just a few seconds; worked out the gravity pull of my body, the trajectory of my jump, the necessary physics, and the chances of this not working out, all the technical nonsense nobody has the patience for, all except for me.

I'm a genius anyway, so I think I have this covered.

I looked down and saw that he was oblivious to my plan as he continued to charge that spell of his. He was close enough for me to this after all. Alyssa was talking, still insisting that what he did was a crime and that he'll pay for what he did, making the winged mage talk a bit longer. Whether she noticed me up here or not was a good thing. That gave me enough time to go for step four.

Taking a few steps back until I had no more space for me to back up to, I calmed myself with a few short inhales and exhales since I needed a clear mind to do this. Once I was done, I started my countdown for step four. One…two…three, run!

I took off running towards the edge and jumped when I had no more space. I hung in the air, arms and legs extended as I descended onto my target, my lips unable to suppress the shout that now alerted the Black Waltz. Before he could turn around, I land square on his back with the kind of impact that made him stumble but not fall. I wrapped an arm around his neck and tried to draw my dagger to start my attack, only for the enemy to start swinging around to get me off. Step four is underway!

"GET OFF!" He yelled a few seconds after I had secured myself on his back. Despite him being the most powerful Black Waltz to be ever made by Alexandria, he can't use that power to completely get a hold of me. I ducked under his attempts to reach me as I finally got my dagger in hand. "AGH…I SAID GET OFF, YOU INSECT!"

My first stab landed on his shoulder. The Black Waltz bellowed in pain, instantly dropping his staff. His attempts only got more frantic between the second and third stabs, which I aimed on his left arm and left chest. I'm guessing that by the time I am all done with this, Black Waltz No. 3 will be 'all right'.

Heh, get it? It's because I'm only attacking the left parts of his—whatever. It was genius.

"Oh look, the greatest manmade mage can't reach over to his back to get a teenager off. How sad is that?" I taunted him as I kept hanging on to Alexandria's 'finest weapon' while I wailed on him some more, and the realization that he was now off the ground hit me hard. Hard as in a slap on the cheek, a very hard slap.

He was now flapping his wings to further disorient me. It was annoying since the wings were swatting against the side of my face, plus it made it difficult to hold on. Not only that, but at the height we were at right now, I would love it if I didn't fall and break anything. I already have a broken right hand for Christ's sake. Have some consideration, universe.

The Black Waltz finally utilized the black magic he was armed with by setting fire to my left arm and freezing my right. The panic that I immediately went through was enough for me to be loosened from his back and attempt to put out the fire with my other arm, despite it being iced at the time.

At that moment in time, combined with the flapping of wings and the fire on my sleeve, it was enough contribution for me to be forced to let go. That was when I forgot that I was in the air with the Black Waltz. I wasn't sure how far I fell, but I was sure the impact that I felt as soon as I landed on the wooden floor on my back hurt so much that I think I rearranged my spine. My fall could have resulted in a small wooden crater for all I care.

"…Ahhh…ouch…" I moaned in pain, trying and failing to maintain consciousness. Maybe I should have reworked my math in regards to the chances of this plan not panning out the way I planned it.

Feet landed close to me, yet I didn't move in fear of further damaging my spine. I did, however, recognize the extravagant blue coat as Black Waltz No. 3 walked over to me. "You and your friends will die today," He stated that like it was a fact. "But you, you will suffer first."

His foot lightly stepped on my cast. Despite how lightly he put it on, I still felt the slight pressure he applied. My other hand immediately felt for the dagger that was supposed to be in the sheath on my waist, but I remembered that I had it in hand as I fell. Now it wasn't in my hand. I turned my head to the side and saw it laying there just an arm's reach away. I attempted to go for it, trying to endure the pain I was feeling as I did this, but the Black Waltz easily stopped me with his staff, the side with the gold end to be exact. He followed that up with a swift kick to my cheek.

"Hey! It's rude to kick someone while they're down!" I craned my head to the direction of the voice and saw Zidane running towards the Black Waltz.

"You dare lecture me about manners?" The manmade magus incredulously asked. He attempted to delay Zidane by aiming a thundara at him, which did the job as the thief dived to the side, nearly taking himself off the ship, only to be saved by his mastery of balance. The Black Waltz then decided to fulfill what he had planned to do by raising his foot and slamming it down on my casted arm; the wrist to be exact.

When Black Waltz No. 3 said that he is 'the most powerful' of three Waltzes, he sure did tell the truth. I didn't know that phrase meant magical AND physical power.

The cast easily cracked and shattered, the assault on my injury was fully felt, making me yell in mind-numbing agony. Maybe I didn't hear the crack of the bone, yet I instantly knew that there was something broken there because the limb that was attacked was still attached to me and was in the process of healing. It had been weeks since I felt this kind of pain and I had promised myself to be more cautious so that the same pain would be never come again. Apparently, I had not been cautious enough.

I tried to reach and cradle my re-injured injury with my able hand, only to be thwarted by the staff that had kept it in place. I was barely able to move my right fingers as they were fine shaking on their own, though the shaking was not being commanded by me but by the shock of having a cracked wrist.

Just when I thought things could get any worse, a second stomp landed on my wrist, an audible crack followed right away, furthering the damage that was initially dealt. I screamed a lot louder this time. Then a third followed. The pain was more intense than the first that I started to see spots. And then a fourth.

"Blake!" A few voices shouted my name, probably alarmed by the amount of screaming I had partaken today. One voice in particular was more worried than the others combined.

My desperate attempts to reach my injured hand finally got a result when I felt a short burst of fire push off the Black Waltz before he did more damage to me. Someone else pulled the staff off the floor. I cradled the broken wrist as I tried to back away from the battlefield that was the bridge of the ship while someone helped me in doing so. The pain was so intense that I had to shut my eyes and hold back the tears that were trying to force its way out of the corners. My feet were uncoordinated. I was stumbling desperately for cover…

"Oh…Oh my Go— Oh my goodness." I heard someone gasp as soon as I sit near the doorframe. No name came into mind as my mind was focusing on the phrase 'It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…'

Another voice sounded off, this time laughing maniacally. "Kwahahaha! It is a miracle that all of you have lived this long. But now, I will have to destroy all of you and then I will deliver the princess to the castle! Kwahahaha!"

"You… "Someone else spoke, this time it sounded young…and angry. "You hurt my friends. You hurt my friends and tried to kill them… You'll pay." His voice shook with clear emotion. The nervousness from his voice whenever he spoke to us vanished and was replaced by fury. I could hear him take a step forward, or away from me, as he spoke again. "YOU'LL PAY!"

Even with my eyes screwed shut, I could still see light blue just seep into my forcibly closed eyelids for a moment before it died down. It was followed by sounds of chaos. That seemed irrelevant at the moment when I felt a bit light for a moment. It made me open my eyes. Dagger was kneeling beside me with something in her hands. It looked like the jacket my chocobo was using for its nest. It obstructed my view of my injury, which made me somewhat grateful. I also noticed that my pet had found its way over to my side, making its presence known by kwehing.

I looked away from her hands before she could move it away. I only maintained level eye contact with the princess. "Thanks," I gasped, still hurting immensely.

"Don't thank me yet," Dagger said. "I only tried to diminish the pain, but I'm afraid your wrist is still broken."

"You can't…heal broken limbs?" She shook her head. "D-Damn. It's… f-fine. It's not like…this is the first time this happened." I paused on occasion because of my hurting wrist. "Who…Who's p-piloting the ship?"

"Alyssa," She simply replied. I may not know much about the girl, but I know she can learn fast. How fast was her learning speed? Right now, I really couldn't care less unless it kills me.

On that note, I let my eyes wander over to the one on one fight that erupted after the rupturing of bones that belonged to my wrist. Vivi went into Trance (finally) and was throwing spell after spell after spell at the Black Waltz with endless fury. Fire, blizzard, thunder, all three elemental magic followed one after the other in no discernable pattern to be seen. Black Waltz No. 3 continuously tried to cancel out the attacks with his own magic, and that was starting to fail him. He struggled with any evasive or defensive tactics against our black mage as he was not being let up any time soon.

With every spell that properly connected with him, he took a step back. Vivi's Trance helped him single-handedly force the most powerful mage to be made by Queen Brahne into a corner and let him recognize the pain of watching the dolls, his fellow black mages, die right in front of him. Zidane and Steiner didn't bother in aiding Vivi since he got everything covered. We all just watched as he handed the Black Waltz his butt on an extravagant, jewel-encrusted silver platter.

The effects of the ongoing assault were made evident. Black Waltz No. 3's wings were singed to the point the bones can be seen with the feather being forcibly molted off, various burn marks across the clothing and I'm sure the skin beneath them is surely affected, his right foot and left arm were frozen so hard that we could see our distorted reflections on them from a distance, and lastly we managed to hear it stutter broken phrases because of the constantly forced application of thunder to his system that bordered on abuse. Jim Ross's words rang true here, and those words are 'he's beating him down like a government mule.'

In layman's terms, Vivi had defeated Black Waltz No. 3 so bad that he should have been charged with a federal crime. And it could have happened if it weren't for the fact that the only witnesses to this are his friends. Who knew the young child that went with us had it in him to deal such punishment?

Black Waltz No. 3 staggered backwards against the back of the mast of the cargo ship. "You…You scum…!" He managed to spew out. "I…exist…only to…kill! I…exist…only to kill! I exist…only to kill!" He repeated that phrase in a low voice that was audible enough and easy to interpret as a threat that I could see everyone still had their weapons at the ready. Vivi was still on the go in regards to curb stomping him for a second round.

That was the plan before Black Waltz No. 3 jumped off and flew away as Vivi's Trance started to fade. Even Black Waltzes knew the better part of valor.

Everyone were rather on edge right after our enemy fled, like Steiner wondering how many more Black Waltzes they had to keep Dagger safe from. I heard Zidane explain the logic behind the meaningful names of our enemies, but I already knew that. I was more concerned with the injury I have re-suffered and the immense pain it was bringing me. I just slumped over the wall and closed my eyes, counting numbers in my head with the hopes that we would get to Lindblum without incident so I can get my wrist checked.

And when I say 'without incident', and when I say that I mean incidents that I don't know that's going to happen.

Right now, having my injury checked has just become my primary objective. Once I had that little tidbit implanted into my brain like a tumor, I passed out.


	18. A Grand Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not as grand as they thought...

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 17: A Grand Arrival

\- Blake -

_"Is he alright!?"_

_"I have tried my best, but it does not look good."_

_"This is all my fault..."_

After my initial passing out, I went back and forth between consciousness and unconsciousness during the short flight towards Lindblum.

_"Someone get something to stop the blood!"_

_"Give him some room to breathe, guys!"_

_"Uh guys, we have company!"_

I kept hearing things from the others, such as Steiner and Zidane's semi-argument on Dagger's decision to push past South Gate and Alyssa voicing her continued concern over something being tweaked, played in the background of my mind as our cargo ship forced its way through South Gate while Black Waltz No. 3 came back on another airship with his prime objective now was, and I quote, 'to kill'.

The bumpiness of the ride was NOT very comforting either. The constant shaking and sudden veering to different directions made me move, which in turn made my wrist hurt more due to unnecessary movement. I unconsciously gasped and groaned in pain while all of this happened despite my being partially unconscious.

_"The Black Waltz...!"_

_"Everyone hold on!"_

_"Vivi and Blake-!"_

_"Rusty, Alyssa, make sure they doesn't fly over the railing."_

Panicked dialogue continued to be heard from the other with one voice missing out in the entire thing: Vivi's voice. He hadn't spoken a word since he defeated Black Waltz No. 3 all on his own. If memory serves me right, he's staring over that one hat that was left hanging on the railing, the one that had survived the entire decimation of the black mage dolls and the fight with the Black Waltz.

Eventually the panic and the manic driving of the cargo ship mellowed out after a loud explosion roused me from my 'nap'. I craned my head over to direction of the explosion and saw Zidane and Alyssa both pulling Vivi back in after he almost fell off the ship. All was silent, except for the engine behind Captain Dagger that was making the ship continue its flight.

At that point, all I was thinking about the normalcy I had lost by just waking up in this game. This is not where I should be. I should laying somewhere on the sand with rain falling from the heavens, waiting for an ambulance after the shocking aftermath of a lightning striking me while being surrounded by people I barely know. That was normal.

"South Gate is a huge gate built exclusively for airships, but..."

"I want to do it on my own."

"We must turn back!"

"Not anymore! It's too late to turn around now!"

This? This is anything BUT normal.

I could be doing anything or nothing back at home; lying down on my bed, listening to music, ignoring everything around me that wasn't worth my time, playing videogames, staying away from the outside world...anything. That was normal.

But everything that has happened for the past few days is crazy. I'm sure there's someone out there who would love to be in my place, someone's been dreaming to be part of a wild adventure. I would be glad to switch places with them if it means I'd be back in the real world where I'll only imagine this as some sick lucid dream. Hell, I even wish I was lucid dreaming right now, but unfortunately there's no evidence that this is a dream.

I've read you can manipulate what happens in lucid dreams. If this was one of them then why has everything that's been happening to me been horrible? If things do get horrible in lucid dreams then the only out I would have is to wake up. But I can't simply wake up from this.

That's all I want right now. To wake up from this reality and be back in the real world, to be back home.

The ship's slow rocking eased me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw that we were in some docking area in the sky. When I tried to move to look more, my arm acted up and the pain was still too fresh for me to ignore. I slumped back against the cabin and groaned. The moment I let a sound out people started to surround me. Dagger, Vivi, Zidane, and Alyssa gathered and checked on me.

"He's awake, thank goodness." Dagger sighed, relieved for some reason. I could see Vivi share the same relief behind her. A chirp rang and its black feathered source ran up against my legs, bumping into me until its tweets were muted by my pants.

Alyssa knelt in front of me and moved some hair off my face. Apparently I'd been sweating fiercely because my hair was plastered messily around my forehead and eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked, looking more panicked than her voice let on.

"What do y-you think?" I hissed through my teeth. "It f-fucking hurts." I was trying not to move in case another wave of pain strikes me.

"We've successfully docked, your highness!" Steiner's voice reported somewhere.

"Don't worry, we'll try to get you to someone who can fix you up." Zidane assured me. I nodded slowly in case any sudden movement would send a jolt of pain up my arm. "Just hang in there."

Dagger straightened and went around the cabin as fast as she can, another voice calling out to her to slow down. Two different voices spoke up, whatever they were saying were lost on me due to the distance and the wind blowing into the dock, and they were met with Dagger's rushed words. I'm sure they don't know what the hell she was talking about but at least she cares enough to pick up the pace.

"Let's get you up." Alyssa told me. Well I can't disagree since I need to have someone look at this in the next five minutes.

With Alyssa holding on to my other able arm, I attempted to get up on my feet. I tried to move while keeping the jacket around my wrist, which was hard when you're trembling in pain and was high up in the air via airship, so please excuse my shakiness.

"Easy," Zidane stopped my stumbling by holding me steady via my shoulders when I was up. "Let's take this one step at a time." I had to disagree there. We need to get this to a professional as soon as possible. Who knows what would happen if we let my wrist stay like this for an extended amount of time. The doctor might have to cut it off! I don't want that. "Just don't think about it then." Some assurance that was.

Alyssa was right at my side as we walked off the airship and across the dock bridge to the landing bay, holding me by my other arm to keep me steady. We were finally here in Lindblum, specifically the Lindblum Grand Castle. Everyone would be a bit more upbeat if it wasn't for my current condition, but who do I have to blame for that? Only myself since it was my plan that got my wrist in this state.

From what I could hear, the others were taking in the sheer size of the inside of the Grand Castle. Two soldiers dressed in white and blue garbs or something with armor on top with both of them armed with a long hammer-like weapon approached with one wearing a rusty red colored armor leading them. Another man had already emerged, different clothing and demeanor than the guards had, and he went from calm walk to a jog when he saw Dagger arguing with the guards, or 'The welcoming committee' as Zidane rightfully dubbed.

The man who just came in must be Minister Artania, the trusted second in command of the regent and uncle of Dagger. He stopped in front of her and exchanged a few hurried words as I watched her present her proof of royal heritage before pointing over to our direction. With a nod, he directs the guards towards us.

"Please escort Princess Garnet's friend to medical wing as the princess and I head to regent's throne once we get to the elevator. Go with great haste. The damage might become permanent if you do not hurry." The last two lines were directed to me. I interpreted that as him showing concern even if we didn't personally know each other.

I could only mutter my thanks as we hurried inside the castle, leaving behind Dagger and her uncle, who definitely have to get some quality family time with Regent Cid while we get to a doctor.

The seven of us, our four person group plus my pet in Vivi's hands and the two Grand Castle guards, walked at a brisk pace following our armed escorts to the doctor. I kept silent as my wrist continued to throb in pain, a grimace painting my face of the kind of rising discomfort I was going through. We eventually got on the elevator with the Grand Castle guard going on last. The elevator railings secured closed before moving upwards towards the next floor. I kept silent, breathing through my mouth in order compose myself through the pain, with my sole focus being on getting treatment.

At least I'm still able to walk. Definitely a good thing. If I had a broken leg or something similar that would cut my mobility by half while being in this crazy world then I might as well curl up in a ball and let a monster eat me. I'd be more useless than my current state. Anyways, I've had injuries back then that hindered that very ability. I am glad that that is not the case today. Reinjuring something is still not fun. Despite my unlucky tendencies, this must be the first time I've reinjured something while it was recovering. All that time I spent on recovery feels like they have been stolen from me.

Our escort lead the way through massive hallways painted in a peach or light orange color with a very long red carpet underneath our feet. It was not a very long walk since we only took like three turns before stumbling into a large room. It was office-sized, only instead of cubicles or desks filled with to the brim with paperwork it had beds with red separating curtains in-between each one, medicinal cabinets supplied with tools, herbs, bottles and other instruments that prove to be useful in the field of medicine, and a much smaller space that was separated by a door to the side. The room was as white as a hospital waiting room that wants to say 'Heaven' but feels more like 'Purgatory'. At least the sheets on the bed were light blue.

Then two people emerged from the smaller room to our immediate left, chattering about something I didn't care about. I just ignored their dialogue until one of them, who looked like someone in my age bracket but older, left. Probably a courier or something. The one left standing there was the person we were most likely seeking. Male, slightly taller than me, and a head of graying hair. He had a pair of glasses docked on the bridge of his nose and had this gray suit with black dress pants underneath a white doctor's coat; an ideal image for a doctor in my mind.

"Yes, what seems to be the matter?" He asked the guard with a jolly curious tone that sounded so eerie to me. It kind of sounded like he wanted to hear that someone needed treatment.

"We have a guest here that needs your immediate attention," replied the hammer-wielding guard.

"Ooooh, something to look at," the doctor said with delight clear in his voice. After hearing the same tone being spoken by the person supposedly in charge of this place, my mood changed from serving myself a pint of self-pity whilst being angry at the world to a full course meal of apprehension.

Okay, I am not sure if this is a very good idea anymore. If ever this was an excuse to not go see a doctor, this might be it. Hearing him get excited at the thought of getting a patient was creeping me out.

"Cool your jets, Blake," Alyssa whispered me, apparently noticing hesitation. "He's a doctor. You can trust him."

"Oh yeah? Would you trust Hannibal Lecter to serve you dinner?" I countered in a low voice so the others wouldn't hear me. "I don't think so! Sure he'd probably have a fine presentation, I'd give him that, but I'm sure the taste of his food would only cater to those with humanitarian tastes. And not that kind of humanitarian. You know what I mean."

"So young man, what is the fuss all about?" The man in the coat approached with hands behind his back. I quickly turned to the thief and the black mage with us and mouthed 'help me' before anything else happened. Zidane placed a hand on my shoulder, an attempt to calm me down.

"It's alright, Blake. He's a doctor." Zidane tried to assured me.

"Yeah. The doctor's a valuable asset to Lindblum. He's a great man and an even greater member of his profession." The guard who escorted us said.

"You flatter me," The doctor chuckled. "And it's professions. Emphasis on the last 's'. But he is right. I didn't get my doctorates just for fun. Anyway, I believe an introduction is in order; Dr. Gregory Thomas III, at your service. You may call me Dr. Thomas. Now let's take a look see..." Dr. Thomas introduced himself in a manner that was unlike any doctor I've ever seen, shaking all of our hands, even petting the small chocobo in Vivi's hands, before guiding me to a chair in his office so he can take a look at my injury.

Ever since I re-broke my wrist on the cargo ship I have never taken a direct look at it and that means that I have not seen the extent of the damage done to it. I don't look at any injury I have until I get to a hospital, where I can pass out upon looking at them without being judged. Now that there's a medical expert in the same room as I was, I finally removed the jacket in order to take a good hard look at my wrist.

And boy, did I wish I had passed out right then and there.

Black Waltz No. 3 was not so courteous when it comes to handing out wounds. I thought he stomped on the top or bottom of my wrist, but instead he stomped on the side. It was like the wrist was now slightly bottlenecked! Imagine my expression when I saw the damage. My brain just blacked out the instant the image of my wrist, bloodied and broken with a bone or two showing through the skin. Majority of the cast had broken away save for part of the forearm near the elbow. Blood covered the wrist and some of it partially dried up on my vest.

The only analogy I managed to think of was from the movie series Saw, only the wording out process failed due to my brain being out at the moment. I believe my mouth was partially open as I tried to breathe and my eyes were bulging wide at the sight.

I think it would have been better if I didn't see that.

"Oh my... This looks terrible," Dr. Thomas noted. Really? Just terrible? Talk about an understatement. More like horrifyingly traumatizing.

"Ugh...I don't wanna look at it anymore," Alyssa groaned as she stepped back while my chocobo chirped with chick noises I cannot translate. The guards shared her sentiment regarding my wrist and walked to the door. I swear Vivi's eyes were almost as big as plates when he saw the state of my wrist before he covered his eyes. Zidane wasn't a big fan too as he turned away.

Dr. Thomas hummed unpleasantly as he looked at my wrist. Despite my previous thoughts of him being an unhinged psychopath, he handled me with care. He didn't move the limb but he'd move himself to get a much closer look at it unless it couldn't be helped. After a minute or so of me wincing at my arm throughout the inspection, he straightened up and adjusted his glasses.

"What's the verdict, doc? Is he going to make it?" Zidane asked somewhere behind me.

"I'm not going to die, you know!" I said, showing my irritation at him by frowning.

"For dramatic purposes, let's say that he will make it," Dr. Thomas responded to the thief's question. "But in all seriousness, how would a harmless young man such as yourself get a brutal injury like this?" It's comforting that he thinks I'm harmless just because of how I look. I'll take that as a compliment. It put a smile on my face.

"The flight here wasn't very comfortable," Alyssa answered.

"Really? Most flights to Lindblum are always guaranteed to be comfortable. Certain airspace safety is what Lindblum thrives on. It usually attracts tourists and businessmen that way."

"Not ours, especially if you look at what happened to him. We had to fight something during our flight."

"I am pretty sure that airships do not usually allow monsters onboard. That is illegal."

"It wasn't monsters..." Vivi piped up.

"Well kinda. I can say this one IS a monster by personality." Zidane corrected for the smaller boy.

"Can we just cut to the chase and see how in the world we can fix this!?" I hurriedly interjected, derailing the interesting banter between the two. And when I say interesting, I mean completely unnecessary.

"Very well then," Dr. Thomas nodded understandingly and gestured over to one of the beds. "Please lie down while I gather some of my tools." He then walked towards one of the cabinets and started taking things out and putting them on a tray.

I walked over to the nearest bed and did as what I was told. Alyssa walked closer while still averting her gaze from my wound, offering comfort as she stood at the foot of the bed, with our resident actor and young black magician offering me some help get on the bed. Vivi let the black feathered chick on the bed. It immediately looked at me and clucked while trying to stand. It wobbled and bumped right into me and fell down, making the girl giggle at its antics. Okay, that is the least comforting thing ever.

Dr. Thomas eventually made his way back with tray in hand. He put it down on the side table beside the bed. I didn't bother looking at the implements that he's going to use since I already had enough with seeing anything unpleasant. Let's just let the guy with the doctorate handle things.

"Let us start this procedure with the bad news." Oh fantastic. I forgot the 'good news, bad news' segment any professional doctor does with their patient. "Bad news, your wrist is terribly broken, as in 'trampled by a Zanghnol' bad." Gee, thanks for pointing that out. Is that how you got your PhD? "Good news, I will be able to fix it."

"Outstanding," I sardonically cheered. "Now can we hurry with the fixing while I'm not yet suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder?"

"There is actually more bad news," The doctor informed me. Great. "To fix your injury, I have to..." There was a grim expression I was seeing right now, and the fact that he trailed off while looking like that was not giving off a relaxing vibe. Quite the opposite actually.

"You have to what? Cut it off? Break it a little more? Someone throw me a bone and get it over with!" I demanded impatiently.

With a sigh, Dr. Thomas takes something from the tray and continues. "To fix your injury, I have to reset some of the bones before doing anything else." Re...set...? "Yes, as in mend the bones by moving them back in place." Move...? "That is how damage is repaired most of the time. Painful, but effective. Unfortunately, our supply of hard anaesthetics ran out the day before. But we'll make do with some of the sedatives we still have." Oh God...

I froze. If I froze any harder a bone from my wrist would stick out even more, furthering the pain and eventually numbing my arm if it were to happen. It was traumatizing when the Black Waltz stomped a mudhole on my hand, but to have someone else reverse the effects of that physically just made me hesitant to want treatment anymore. Even my past injuries weren't so bad to insist resetting them by hand!

His latest bit of news was accompanied by him pulling out what looked like a steampunk injection from his tray of surgical implements. I'd be more horrified if the room was only lit by a small light and if the doctor had an intense gleam to his eyes. In reality, Dr. Thomas had this smile on his face, unsure if that was trying to calm me down or if he relishing the thought of moving around my bones.

"You know what," I started to say as I tried to get off the bed. "I think I'll take my chances. A broken wrist is going to be the least of my worries. It's not like I'll be here forever. Anyway, thanks for your time, doctor. It has been a blast. See you next time, or never, whichever works—Oof!"

Just as I was making good progress—that translates to about a step and a half—in my attempt to literally walk away, Zidane prevented my escape by standing in the way. Dr. Thomas then grabbed me by the shoulders and gently guided me back into the bed.

"Stop panicking and let the doctor help you." The blond told me.

"Traitor," I hissed. He shrugged, completely unaffected.

I honestly cannot believe that a man who is probably middle-aged just physically restrained me so easily like a small child being restrained by their parents. "It is not kind to judge a person's age by mere appearance. I am not yet even in my forties," He said, now wielding the injection. He saw me flinch. "Now, now, no need for unnecessary resistance. I am a doctor after all."

I didn't bother struggling after that as he injected my arm. How would you feel after having someone more powerful than you physically while you have a broken limb? That would be dumb. I was just lucky I got that far in my first attempt. So I just surrendered. To be fair, the injection was as painless as the past injections I had were.

"Just relax and let the doctor do his thing," Alyssa said to me, patting me on the shoulder to comfort me. Her touch was as light as a feather. Or was that my shoulder becoming numb? What kind of sedative is this if he's not using one of the hard anaesthetics?

I didn't spare her a look as Dr. Thomas explained. He would have rather let me drink an elixir so the setting could be avoided, unfortunately for me he was out of the precious healing substance. For now, directly setting the bones back in their correct position is the only option.

By the time he'd reached that part of the explanation my vision had started to go wavy. I think I was mumbling something to try and get their attention, but they turned their heads to me with confusion on their faces until the doctor spoke again. Even my hearing was starting to mess up, his words becoming incoherent. Alyssa walked over and gave me what looked like a smile before taking the chocobo off my chest. The rest started to leave, leaving me with Dr. Thomas being my only company in the room.

"Rest easy, young man. I'll fix you up in no time." He said as he walked over. I absently nodded as I surrendered to the effects of the sedative.

\- Alyssa -

Time couldn't have passed any slower. I was sure I'd already paced back and forth about a hundred times in the temporary guest room they let me use. Well that was a few hours ago after we got Blake to a doctor to help with his broken wrist. Still can't believe how messed up it was. Thinking about it just grosses me out. That's something I'd want to clear out of my brain.

I'd be out of this room right now, but Dr. Thomas told me he had just finished operating on him and he'd need his rest. Okay, I agreed and went back here. The others assured me he'd be alright. Even though the doctor told me that I still can't help but want to see him. Just a glimpse of him sleeping peacefully or something might help me calm down, especially after he was freaking out before the anaesthetic.

A chirp from the bed caught my attention. The recently hatched black feathered chocobo was facing the door, tweeting at it as if calling for something, or in this case, someone to come through the door. The poor little thing's also worried in its own way. I take a seat beside it and ran a finger over its head and down its back in an attempt to calm him...her?

Not sure what its gender is right now since I don't really know about the defining gender characteristics of chicken. Wondering about that hasn't really crossed my mind before.

Anyway, I'm here worried about my friend and I just want to check on him. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? Dr. Thomas didn't really say how long he's gonna be out and when visiting would be okay.

Screw waiting around. I've been doing that for a while now. Might as well give it a go. If that doens't pan out then I'll find something to do. I take the chicklet into my hands and go out to find the elevator.

I have to go down a level to get to the medical wing. It's still somewhat confusing to get around the Grand Castle when you're alone. Understandable to the others since they think I've never been here before. True to a point since I've never PHYSICALLY walked down these halls, but given my time playing the game I would at least know some parts of the castle. Like, for example, the fountain before the elevator at the ground floor.

When I get to the elevator, I see Vivi waiting for it as well. How long has he been there?

Deciding to ask where he's going, I jog over to his side and poke at his shoulder, prompting him to almost jump out of his coat. The chocobo in my hands tweeted in surprise as well. "Whoa there, Vivi. It's just me."

"S-Sorry." He sheepishly apologizes. "This place is just so big. And new. So many new people..."

"Yeah, it's kinda overwhelming to see so much people just in this place." I agree. It even reminds me of malls back home, except with less armed guards and more people looking to chill out and have fun.

I look over to him and see him fidgeting and hear him slightly mumbling to himself. Hmm...he's more nervous compared to back when we got here. When we met Regent Cid hours ago he was quiet and understandably confused when he saw him in his oglop form. Everyone shared the same level of shock when Steiner whacked the living daylights of Regent Cid. He's never going to live that down. After all that when the regent offered us lunch, Vivi was kinda out of it. Guess he has something in his mind since then.

"You look like something's worrying you." I mention as the wait for the elevator continued, the chick I was holding humming to itself.

Vivi fidgets with his hat when I brought it up. It takes him a while before he turns to me and sighs. "I was going to see Blake and apologize."

"Apologize?" I repeated, confused. I don't think he's done anything wrong to have the need to apologize, especially to Blake. He might be a bit of a smartass to me, but I'm sure Vivi's done nothing wrong to him. "Why?"

"That he got injured because of me." The elevator arrived the moment he gave his reason. He'd walked on first as I tried to wrap my head around what he just said.

"Dunno why you see it as your fault." I told him, hopping on the elevator and taking the spot beside him. I press on the floor where the medical wing is and the elevator starts to move. "If anyone has to apologize it'd be the Black Waltz."

"If only I didn't get scared..."

"Scared? You were angry at the guy. You were shining so bright and throwing spells at him left and right. If you were scared because we were fighting so high up in the air, that's fine since fighting in that altitude is unnerving."

"When he managed to overpower us with a spell, I was starting to think that I would end up like… them..." He was starting to mumble, yet I was still able to hear and understand perfectly what he was trying to say. "Those things that looked like me. The black mages. Black Waltz No. 3 killed them so easily and called them mindless dolls. I thought I was going to die like them...so I got scared. He'd hurt everyone I knew. Then he hurt Blake so bad." He looked up now when he said that. "That snapped me out of it. Then I Tranced. It took me seeing my friends to get hurt before I could Trance..."

I place a hand on his shoulder, Blake's pet also offering their own chirps. "It's not your fault, Vi." Seeing him blame himself for something out of his control was uncomfortable. Black Waltz No. 3 took Blake down and stomped on his wrist and Vivi was the hero who saved him from getting worse injuries. But despite my thoughts, he kept going.

"If only I'd Tranced faster, we might've beaten him earlier and nobody else would've gotten hurt. And maybe we might've prevented the South Gate from getting damaged too."

"Come on, Vi." I interrupted him. "You did what you could so it wasn't your fault. The Black Waltz was just powerful than us. We were in trouble and Blake thought he could help and he had to use his stupid idea before we got killed out there. He bailed us out of there with that jump of his, but you bailed him out before something else was broken.

"I still got scared..." The young mage insisted.

I shook my head and bent down so we could see each other eye-to-eye."Getting scared is a natural reaction. We all get scared." By the look he was making I was sure he was going to insist on it more, so I decided to give an example. "I get scared too when we fight those monsters. Did you know I've never fought a monster before I left home?" The black mage looked honestly surprised at my admission. "Even when I look brave and stuff, there's still that voice inside me telling me that I might die fighting out there in the Mist. Hell, I was scared when I fought a monster for the first time. Blake was telling me to kill it, but I've never killed anything before so the thought of taking a life, monster or not, terrified me. Back before I met you guys I thought I'd never have to think about that."

That's the truth. Back before I got roped up in this the only reason why I'd use what I've learned through my self-defense and sword classes would be just plain practicing. Didn't expect to be doing those things in this context. But what do I know? What were the actual chances of me predicting this'll happen to me when I signed up for those classes?

"Were you scared when you saved Blake from Steiner?" Oh yeah, that. I had to nod upon remembering what happened back then.

"Pretty much. How could I not get scared when this guy wearing full armor swings a sword like that at me? I even though he'd cut me to pieces right then and there. But I didn't let that stop me from helping a friend."

He nodded understandingly. Then there was a silence between us. I didn't know how to proceed after that. I've already tried to make him feel better and it looked like he was beginning to when the elevator stopped at our destination. He wasn't looking that down anymore. Glad I was able to at least cheer him up form that.

"C'mon, let's go see if Blake's awake." I urged him as we stepped off.

Vivi seemed to remember the directions to the medical wing more than I did. I basically started following his lead wordlessly until we arrived at a hallway that looked like we've passed by on the way to Dr. Thomas. As we walked, we passed by this person in a brown cloak with the hood up. Why would they even have that up indoors? I couldn't help but stare after them as they turned down the hallway we came from.

Vivi turned his head at me when I started hearing some familiar clanking noises somewhere. Accompanying it was a pair of voices talking amongst themselves.

When we went around the next corner we see three people walking ahead of us, the source of the noises: Zidane, Dagger, and Steiner. I'm guessing they also had the same idea Vivi and I had, though I hope they didn't go here to apologize for something that wasn't their fault.

Zidane must've noticed someone trailing behind them since his tail stopped moving and pointed straight at Vivi and I. He turned aorund when we were close to Dr. Thomas' office. "Oh, Alyssa and Vivi's here."

We exchanged greetings by the door and Dagger immediately answered the question I had in mind. "The three of us thought we should see how Blake is doing. He should be conscious by now." I noticed Steiner silently cross his arms as the princess talked. I guess he's not one to visit someone who he thinks is a criminal. They've probably had an argument about it before going her.

"He's gonna love all the visitors he's getting today," I chuckled before leading everyone inside.

We passed by Dr. Thomas taking care of some documents in his smaller room and greeted the doctor. He waved before putting all of his attention back to his paperwork. Between the times I was here earlier and now, it looked like nothing had changed. No one's gotten themselves injured or sick around here to make them go here save for the sole patient resting in the bed across the room. Since he was alone there was no need to pull out the separating curtains by his bed.

Blake slept soundlessly as we approached, us doing the same so we wouldn't accidentally wake him up, even his little pet was surprisingly quiet. He still had his bloodied clothes on except for the jacket that was wrapped around his broken wrist hours ago. It must've had so much blood it was beyond a trip to the laundry room. At least it looked like the Dr. Thomas' operation didn't add to the dry bloodstains on his clothes.

The wrist that had been re-broken, but now looking better than it had before and in one piece, now lay on a big comfortable pillow. Gone was the cast it had around it that was partly smashed by the powerful stomps it suffered and was replaced by this leather thing that looked like a forearm glove. I could see some white wrappings under the leather. Well, it's better than the big cast he had before, but I'm not sure if this'll work better than it and if it's comfier than the cast.

I let the recent hatchling stand on the bed while we started to gather around his bed. It nuzzled against his arm and rubbed itself as it went up said arm. Guess the little guy's quiet when its father figure is quiet too. Seeing the chocobo be comforted in the presence of Blake, I backed up a bit now that I know he's alright. Zidane, Steiner, and Dagger knight in rusting armor huffed and walked to the door now that he had completed his objective. Dagger shook her head at her knight's actions.

"He still sour about what Blake did back in Dali?" I asked the princess, to which she nodded. "I don't blame him. It's a miracle he wasn't fried then and there."

"Looks like he's full of reckless ideas," Zidane commented, looking at the still sleeping teen. Vivi had chosen to sit by the bed with the nearest chair to watch over the little chocobo and its master.

"He promised after that fight that he would never endanger anyone's life." Dagger recalled.

I raised a finger remembering that specific promise. "I think you're mistaken. He didn't promise that. He said, and I quote, 'I promise to never deliberately endanger you ever again.' A lousy promise, if you ask me."

"Once he wakes up, he will be in for quite a lecture." Alexandria's heir to the throne shook her head when she heard the quote.

Zidane stifled his laugh in order to avoid waking up the sole patient in the room. "Blake will surely appreciate that."

We watch Blake for a minute, expecting him to complain about the sudden increase of noise in the room as he wakes up despite being confined to a comfortable bed, but he kept silently snoring while the chocobo on the bed had paced up and down beside his arm. Looks like it's getting used to walking. Aside from that, I catch a frown forming on Dagger's face. Is she still thinking about Blake's fake promise?

"Something the matter?" I ask her.

She struggles to contain the frown as she shakes her head, but that doesn't really help convince me that nothing's wrong. "It's nothing of importance. Perhaps I was only seeing things or thinking too much into it."

"Well we're all ears here. Anything to clear your mind," Zidane encouraged. With an internal sigh, Dagger looks at us with a bit of unease.

"I'm troubled how my magic was not able to heal his wrist." She confessed.

Okay, I guess she feels just a bit guilty about not fully healing Blake's injury? Well broken bones are much worse than the cuts and bruises in terms of injuries. Plus, her tier one Cure spell is a beginner's version of healing magic. Surely you can't fix everything with the beginner's version. Now if she was using Curaga and it doesn't fix a broken bone then something's gotta be up.

Zidane hummed in thought for a sec. "How long have you been using your magic anyway?"

"Years. I have been able to practice healing myself and others while I was growing up in the castle."

"So you've already fixed broken bones with it?" I ask.

Again, she shook her head. "Not exactly. Small fractures, yes, but I am unsure about bigger injuries like Blake's since this is the only time I have tried healing something in that kind of condition. My magic would, at least, prevent more loss of blood. When I tried to cast it on Blake, the wounds around his wrist reopened as if my magic wasn't enough. This is the reason I wanted to see him today."

So she wants to ask him a few questions about that. Well, I wasn't there when she tried to heal him, but that's something I'd want to clear up too if I had magic and it didn't work.

Not sure how you can explain it not working. She was probably tired? That reason wouldn't make much sense though since she had a good nap before we got on the cargo ship. That meant she was well rested, unless it didn't. I wouldn't know since I don't remember her acting differently when we met up by the ship or if she didn't wasn't able to sleep nicely.

Also, that fight with Black Waltz No. 3 was the only fight we had after said nap along with the previous boss fight. She didn't use her magic that much against Black Waltz No. 2 and I'm sure she was only able to heal us once on the cargo ship after Blake grinded the ship against a cliff. So that means her magic should've still be effective by then since she used it only a handful of times. It still doesn't explain why it didn't work though.

Welp, I really can't think of anything else to explain why that happened. With my thoughts gathered, I shared my theories with the princess and her 'kidnapper'.

"Yeah, I guess the spell might not be the one you use for stomped on wrists," Zidane mused.

"Yes, it is possible I did not have the powerful version. But regarding your second thought, I am sure I was well-rested before we departed from Dali. If anything, my magic should be restored and more effective afterwards." Dagger said going to my second theory.

"Would your mental condition have anything to do with how effective your magic is?" He asked the White Magic user.

"Yes. If you are not able to focus in casting the spell then its effectiveness would be decreased." Yeah, that pretty much explains that part. Some of the shows I've seen with someone new to magic show this problem sometimes, like in the Sorcerer's Apprentice, because they've never casted a spell before until they can sufficiently focus enough to do it.

"You think you weren't focused enough when you were doing it?" He wondered.

"I was stressed during the fight, but not enough to render my magic useless." So things that affect the mind, like stress and trauma, like what Dagger will experience later in the story, will surely have a negative effect on the spell being casted.

Thinking about possible reasons why that happened was not working out for me. Zidane's looking like he's thinking about why that's so as well. He's not asking any more questions on his end. He's probably reached the same thoughts I had. There's just so many things that can explain this, but it looks like we're not asking the right questions. Maybe Blake will have more ideas when we run this by him after he wakes up.

For now I'll just have to remember what Dagger said about it. He might have some other questions in mind that might help in figuring out what was wrong.

"Let's just put a rain check on that since Blake's still out of it." I tell them. Dagger nods at my suggestion while Zidane shrugs. I look past them to check on Blake. He's still sleeping even with the chocobo now seated on his chest with Vivi watching its antics in his seat.

"In any case, I'll remember to check on him later in case he wakes up." Dagger promised.

"Yeah. We really can't stay here all day." I agree with Zidane. We'd be told to get out soon, probably exceeding in visiting time or something like that. "As much as I'd love to hang around the castle, I feel out place here. Might as well check up on a few things in town."

"Think your inner thief might get you in trouble in here?" I teased him.

He looked offended for a moment, but it wasn't very convincing for me and Dagger, before scoffing a few seconds later. "I'm a professional, Alyssa, not a klepto. What about you?"

"I might stay here in the castle until Blake wakes up." I don't really want to wander too far off without knowing when he'd wake up. I'm sure he'll appreciate it me being here when that happens. "So you're not staying here?"

"Yeah. Don't want to overstay my welcome." Zidane answered.

"I'm sure Uncle Cid won't mind having the people who helped take me here stay in the castle for a few days." Dagger mentioned. Well I'll take their hospitality if they won't mind.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm sure you don't want me around while you're bonding with your relatives." He grinned, giving the girl a wink. Then he looks over to the silent black mage and calls out to him. "Hey Vivi, you have any plans?"

Our resident black mage looked back to the still unconscious Blake before turning back to the group's leader. "Not really."

"Alright then. Well, since Blake's still out, wanna take in the sights of Lindblum for a while?"

"Okay." He stands from the chair, places it where he found it, and walks over to Zidane. "What kind of places are there here? Is it as big as Alexandria?"

"Not sure on the exact details, but Lindblum definitely feels bigger. We'll see some of the signature landmarks, like the theatre, some of the shops around town, or the museum, and try some food if you feel hungry." Vivi looked excited at the suggested activities, nodding at Zidane as they started to walk out.

"Do they also do big plays in the theatre like the one we saw in Alexandria?" Vivi asked.

"Yeah. They have a big cast there and do a lot of shows. We can see what they're doing now."

"Do they also shoot cannons and harpoons at the actors?"

"...I think that's something only Alexandria does."

As the voices of the pair started to fade down the hallway, Dagger bid her farewell as well a minute later with Steiner following close behind. I stand beside Blake's bed for a while, watching his little chocobo now looking like it was taking a nap of its own. As much as it loves being there, I can't let stay here without me.

I hear someone walking into the room. Dr. Thomas emerges from his office and starts walking over. "Good to see he has so many friends to visit him. Usually the patients I get are the guards after a big tussle with a criminal or two. They would get one or two of their fellow guards visiting."

"Let's just say we've been through quite a while." I chuckle at the short vague summary of the past events that's happened to us.

"I bet it is. In any case, it looks like he'll be on the road to recovery for quite a while. He will need friends to help him through each and every way down that road."

"Don't worry, doc. We'll be there to help him." I tell him as I gather up Blake's pet into my hands. "I'll come around again after dinner. See you later, doc."

Dr. Thomas nods after me as I exit the room. I spare one last look at Blake's sleeping form before turning the corner. That's right. We'll help him recover once he gets back on his feet. Until then just sleep it out for now. There's no rush. Besides, we're on a bit of downtime until the Festival of the Hunt happens. We'd all be relaxed and prepared by then.


	19. Attire, Conspire, Retire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New places, new duds, same old argument.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 19: Attire, Conspire, Retire

  
\- Alyssa -

My visit after dinner time, which the castle provided again and was even better than the lunch they made for us earlier (thank you so much Minister Artania and Regent Cid!), was somewhat uneventful and same-y like the previous time I was there with the others. I sat there for half an hour just watching him breathe gently and sleep soundly. The chocobo I was taking care of in his stead was very polite by being quiet compared to how loud it was during dinner time. How long is he going to sleep?

Zidane and Vivi came by just as was I about to leave. Zidane wanted to take Vivi back here after their exciting day before he went back to the hideout in the Theatre District. Since Vivi wanted to see if Blake was awake, they went straight here. I stuck around for ten minutes to chat with them, checking with how their day went. It sure looked like Zidane was an excellent tour guide with how positive Vivi talked about his experiences. Zidane smiled with each recounting of their activities, almost making me regret staying here all day.

I should take note of all the things they did so I can do that when Blake's all better. Don't wanna waste all my time just waiting around being a lazy bum until the next story event comes. I might try and find a way to earn some gil while we're here. We're on a limited budget and I don't want to borrow money from the others unless I get super desperate. Zidane probably knows a place that can help. A legit place...hopefully.

Speaking of which, that's also something I need to run by Blake. Since we have some free time until the Festival of Hunt, which I also need to get an exact day when it's happening, probably ask around or something, we can plan ahead as to what we need to do for the sake of the story. It never hurts to be prepared.

Blake's little pet is starting to get comfortable around other people, seeing as how it was nuzzling into Vivi's glove. It would usually be noisy with other people and tend to ignore their presence, which happens less when Blake is around, but with its exposure to more people came the comfort of familiarity. It's been more cooperative with me the longer I spend time with it. With that time comes the sudden responsibility of acting like a parent and directing it when it needs to do its chocobo business. I still need to apologize to the poor person who needed to clean that one pillow earlier...

"Have you been waiting for him to wake up all day since we got here?" Zidane asks. I had to think about what I've done for the rest of the day to check it this is all I've done.

"Well, this is my third visit counting us bringing Blake here. I would've visited more between the first and second times, but Dr. Thomas insisted no visitors after the first few hours. I've eaten lunch and dinner cooked by the chefs here," Zidane nodded, mumbling how good the food was, "napped for a bit, and looked after our mascot here. I guess I've been here more than doing anything productive..."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to be around when he wakes up," He commented, shrugging.

"Waking up and seeing someone waiting there is very comforting, especially after the pain he went through." Though it makes me wonder how he can sleep this long. I'm starting to think that Dr. Thomas didn't really run out of his hard anesthetics.

"You sound like you've been through this kind of thing."

Not exactly, but I answer him with a shrug. It was met with a chuckle.

"You three, visiting time is about to end." The guard at the door, this one having a red armor with the white garbs, announced to us. We all nodded and he went on his merry way back to his patrol.

"Anyway, it's getting late. I'll have to run to the aircab before they close for the day. Don't wanna have to walk back to the Theatre District."

I nudge him with my elbow and smile. "Something tells me you'll manage without the aircab trip."

Exasperated by my jab, he slightly slumps for a moment before turning to the door. "I'm a thief and an actor, not an endurance runner." Zidane then starts walking to the door. "Good night Alyssa, Vivi."

Vivi and I spent a few more minutes hoping Blake would wake up briefly or, at least, mumble in his sleep. But nope, we chatted in low voices while keeping an eye on him and only got nothing eventful happen. Our visit had to come to an end eventually. So I pick up the little chocobo, after getting it to kweh good night, and walked got on the elevator with Vivi.

We're staying in different guest rooms some floors up from the medical wing and I just can't wait for Blake to experience a night in one of the castle's beds. It feels like heaven! I tried out the beds in the infirmary and it didn't feel as good as the one I was using right now. If he's still feeling that stiff neck he got from that night he slept on the stool then this should cure him of that.

Once Vivi reached his room, we exchanged 'good nights' and went in our own rooms to sleep. So I close the lights and prepare for a good night's rest by taking off my shoes and placed my sword by the bed. In case there's an intruder, you know? I didn't have any alternative clothes to sleep in (might as well add 'getting new clothes' on the to-do list) so I just plopped down on the bed with our team's mascot in hand, ready to sleep until morning. He gladly occupied a clean pillow I put on one side of the bed separated by another one.

Don't worry, the bed is big enough for at least two and a half people. Guests who sleep in here really are treated like VIPs. I'm just lucky enough to be involved in a royal kidnapping. Well, not directly involved since I "worked" with the airship crew, but my point still stands.

My night's sleep was so good until my ears were filled with kwehs. I sit up and find out that the reason for all the kwehing was that someone was knocking on the door. Not sure how long the chocobo has been making noises, or how long the person at the door has been at it, but I knew that I would've been dreaming if it wasn't for all the noise and that there was bit of light coming in just a bit through the curtains.

So I half-hurried, half-stumbled towards the door, grumbling about sleeping in later, to stop the knocking. I could hear someone calling me through the door, specifically using 'Miss Forsyth'. He sounds like he knows he's disturbing me but he clearly doesn't want to disturb the other rooms. I then turn on the lights and wipe the sleep off my eyes before opening the door.

"Yes?" I answer, pulling open the door just enough to show my face.

A man in the castle guard outfit pulled back his hand from knocking and cleared his throat. "Dr. Thomas has instructed me to come here and tell you that your friend has woken up."

I could have not run back to my bed, grabbed the chocobo, and dashed right out of there any faster unless I was told that someone found a portal back to the real world. No one in the castle, even the guard who woke me up, could've never guessed how fast I got out of there to the infirmary. My running might've caught some of the guards surprised. I could count this as my morning jog.

Dr. Thomas was there to greet me by the door way. Despite how early it was, he looked as presentable as ever, his suit and coat were all prim and proper and his smile was more infectious after learning my friend was awake. "Good morning, Miss Forsyth. I see you're quite the early riser."

"Just eager to check with Blake." I reply, the chocobo in my hand punctuating that with a kweh of their own. "One of the guards told me he woke up. Is everyone else coming?"

"Ah, well it looks like Mister Skylark does not share your level of energy despite the long rest he's had." He says as he walks into the room with me close behind. After what's happened, I can't blame him. "I suggested to inform your other friends, but he shot that down pretty quickly. Yet I insisted he talk with someone and he agreed to have you be informed."

At least he doesn't mind me around. We get to his bedside and he's frowning at the ceiling as if it wronged him. He was moving his left arm by slowly grasping at the air with his hand and stretching, probably trying to shake off his drowsiness or something. His other hand, the one with the leather wrapping thing, just laid there due to his familiarity of the injury. Blake sighed before letting his lefty arm drop beside him.

"Morning!" I greeted him, his chocobo also tweeting at him. He looked over to me and mumbled something I didn't catch before looking back at the ceiling. Hey! I've been worried all day yesterday and he doesn't even greet me back.

"How do you feel?" Dr. Thomas asked him.

"Sick," was Blake's quick answer. "Of this place. Of my arm. Of basically everything around me right now."

"At least you still have that charming side of your personality," I grunted at his complaints. His glare at the ceiling intensified, but he didn't say anything.

The good doctor then went on to check for basic things, like if he was feeling nauseous, if his arm was causing him major discomfort, if parts of his body felt numb, etcetera. Blake shook his head wearily when all the questions were asked, not even bothering to spare the guy who treated his wrist a look.

Taking note of his singular answers to each of his important medical questions, though I'm not sure if he just kept shaking his head to get the doctor to leave him alone faster, he began to tell him some necessary things about his condition. Things like avoiding any major physical activities that involve arm movement, being careful with the medication he will provide him, elevate the wrist when sleeping, don't try to move it until a week passes, always wear the sling he provided him if he goes walking, among other things.

And again Blake just lets the doctor talk and answers with a single tired nod. Thankfully, Dr Thomas didn't take any offense to it as he smiled once he was done and cheerily informed him he can stay in the medical wing as long as he wants until he is comfortable enough to leave. When the injured teenager didn't say a word in response to that, Dr. Thomas nodded and bid me a hearty goodbye so he can get himself a healthy breakfast.

"Oh, and Miss Forsyth," He stops at my side and talks in a low voice, "I would eat my breakfast without any worries if someone keeps an eye on this young man."

Dr. Thomas saw me nod and finally left the two of us there. Then I marched over to the bed and fixed Blake a ‘What the hell?’ look.

"What is wrong with you?" I demanded after seeing his behavior. "Couldn't you have, at least, thanked him for fixing you up? And he did that for free. Well, I think it's free. I dunno if he's gonna give us the bill after he's done with breakfast. But you know what I mean! Some respect would've been nice-"

He holds up a finger to interrupt me. "Shush. You're ruining my morning."

If he wasn't injured or in bed I would have smacked him in the head for being so disrespectful. Since the doctor has not allowed me to hit the patient, I gave him a warning glare before pulling a chair right beside his bed.

"Someone really woke up on the wrong side of the wrist this morning. It's a wonder I don't hear Nina complain about having a brother that often." I mutter, mostly to myself but still letting the newly-awakened teen hear it. But he didn't comment on it. The small chocobo did that for him, but since we both didn't understand the language of chocobos we let it tweet to its heart's content.

"I need to get out," he finally says, sitting up on the bed.

I couldn't help but worry a bit. I really shouldn't since he's had most of a day's rest and Dr. Thomas already said he can leave when he feels he's ready. So when he swings his legs over to the edge of the bed I had to be ready in case he falls off. Well he did stumble a bit, probably from his grogginess, and I managed to catch him by the shoulder before he took another step.

After muttering his thanks, which was surprising after how rude he was earlier, he straightened himself and started putting on his sling. It was white and different in a way to the modern one I've seen before, this one using buckles to help readjust the strap going over the shoulder, but was pretty much the same in structure. This one he didn't need help putting on.

"Don't just stand there all slack-jawed. Come on. You look like you need some air too." He called over his shoulder when he was already by the door. It didn't take long for me to catch up.

"So how are you really feeling?" I asked him after reaching his side.

"Same answer still applies," he answers with a single shoulder shrug. "My arm is still somewhat tingly and I know it'll get worse later through the day. That's where the medication comes in."

We reach the elevator. The patrols around here are bit lax at the moment save for the one guard standing near the elevator, but it looked like he was snoozing on the job. The others might be eating breakfast or something. "Just make sure you don't go overboard with those painkillers." I warn him. We may be in a fictional world, but we don't know if their medicine is the same with our world's. The ones the good doctor prescribed to Blake might be more addicting. You just don't know if they're more powerful or not. Might as well be careful with it.

"Yes, mom." His groan is met with the elevator opening and going to a lower floor. It was a short ride and it was spent in silence, save for the chocobo kwehing towards its master right beside me. I really should let him carry it since it misses him. Get them back together after almost all that time spent away from him. Blake might have a new use for the sling, use it to carry around the little thing. Hmmm...maybe not. Might avoid putting pressure or weight on it in the meantime.

The elevator stops at the Middle Level. There's more floors to the whole castle than just the three main levels. Like the infirmary is also in the Middle Level with the airship docks and workshops, most of the guest rooms and security headquarters. The Upper Level has everything needed to run the whole country, conference and throne rooms while also including Regent Cid's living spaces as well as some other private rooms, as Zidane called them, for visiting relatives. I bet those rooms have more comfortable beds than the ones that I've already used...

Anyways, I follow Blake past the indoor fountain and some guards patrolling. They greet us and we greet back, which Blake willingly smiled and nodded at them before going back to his 'bad morning' face when he puts some distance away from them. That reminds me of those girls back in school who would always fake their smiles at the other girls they don't like, but his is more kinda more practiced. Makes me wonder how genuine he has been with the others. Which of those smiles, chuckles, and laughs were real or not?

On a happier side note, he might do well in theatre. Maybe? He should try it out some time if he hasn't.

Our little walk ended at the aircab station, where the castle finally opens up to a platform looking into the city, the railway zipping in between some of the buildings towards the next platforms of the different districts until it circles back here. We were alone here, understandable since the day is just starting. Though this must be Blake's intent if he wanted to go outside. Blake takes in a big lungful of the fresh air blowing gently and lets it all out in an annoyed breath.

"What I would do to just wake up now and realize this is all just a dream..." He mumbles to himself as he looks out into the city.

We'd already talked about dreams before. I can't say I disagree with him though. Finding a way back to the real world is our unspoken goal since it's very obvious and logical to do so. Just how we find that and when is the question.

Blake continues to talk, not even caring if I was there or not. "Everything is just messed up. I could be back home if I took that cab ride home, but I guess I have nobody to blame but me for that. Maybe if I did take that cab you wouldn't be in here either."

"C'mon now, don't blame yourself for that." I stepped in before he could say anything else. First Vivi blames himself for letting Blake get hurt and now Blake's blaming himself for getting us in this mess. It's no one's fault and I'll keep saying that until I'm proven wrong.

"Not saying I was. But that's already in the past. I'm just ticked off that I'm back to square one." He gives his injured arm a disapproving look.

"If it weren't for you we'd be all fried."

"I'm sure we'd all pushed through nonetheless. The game's just started anyway. We can't die when we're only halfway through the first disc." I look at him, uncertain why he keeps referring to this as a game. Sure it is a game in the real world, but I've already argued that this world is as real as ourselves. I don't want to start that up again since he'd just woken up.

"At least we're in Lindblum now. That should give us some time to rest up before things start to pick up again." I tell him, my voice a bit lowered just in case, as I dismiss the thought of arguing with him.

"That's good. Next event is the Festival of the Hunt." Just saying that made him shiver. Guess he's doesn't want to be anywhere near monsters right now. "Do you know how long until that starts up?"

"Not really..." Though I did hear some talks from the guards that the preparations look to be going smoothly and the monsters should be arriving any day now. I should ask around in town when the exact day for the festival. "Here, our team mascot really missed you. It's been very restless."

He turns to me and lets the chocobo walk from my hand into his. "Hey there, buddy. Hmmm... Is it just me or did you get bigger?" It kwehed back at him as it walked around his hand.

“It’s been a few days since it hatched and you haven’t named it yet.” I pointed out. Most parents would name their child the moment they see them.

“I don’t even know if it’s a he or a she,” Blake uttered as he tried to examine the bird. That’s a fair point. Maybe he should consult a book or an expert? “Well then, I shall temporarily name it Chuck. It works whether it’s a boy or a girl. Though I should see a book about names here to get a more fitting name.”

“Now you truly are a parent.” I say, chuckling to myself. The newly named Chuck tweeted positively and nuzzled against Blake’s face for a moment.

He dismisses that comment and looks back at me. "Whatever. So we have a bit of vacation time. I'll probably lounge around, following doctor's orders. As creepy as he is, I really can't disregard what he said to me. I can't recover if I don't follow his advice. You, however, do what you want."

"What about what we should do next? After the Hunt, I mean." I bring up what I was planning to talk with him. He shoved Chuck up to my face, its kweh cutting me off.

"Later. Too many ears." His hand gestures around, mostly giving a look at the castle that made me curious. There wasn't anyone else around us. He's probably paranoid and doesn't want to talk about future events while having guards patrolling around us and overhearing what we're saying. All sorts of questions would be asked and we'd be outed as people from a different world.

What else should talk about? When should we tell them that we're not really who we say we are? Blake's already said his side of the argument back in Evil Forest, but I can't really keep up with him when it comes to lying. It doesn't sit well with me when I have to keep lying to Zidane and the others while we spend our days together. There’s gonna be a day when we slip up and they find out the hard way, and that’s gonna be a bigger problem when it happen.

Blake pulls back his hand and starts walking towards the stairs going to the aircab. "We'll talk somewhere else."

"So you're not staying in the castle?"

"Nope. _You_ can stay here if you want."

"Oh no, I'm not leaving you alone. You're as fragile as a flower. God knows you break something else your wrist again. It could happen after you wake up and fall out of your bed or stumbling off the sidewalk. Someone needs to keep an eye on you."

I heard him grumble loudly. "Fine. Come along."

I point my thumb back to where we came from. "I'm gonna go back and get my stuff. You might want to get yours too before it ends up in a lost and found pile."

His instantly swerved from his supposed destination and instead comes back to the castle. "Right. Got it."

\- FF FF FF-

"Dagger is going to be so disappointed she won't be able to deliver her _long, deserved_ lecture to you." That made Blake noticeably pick up his pace, clutching his bag closer to him as he put some distance between him and the aircab we just departed from.

So we collected our stuff after our little meeting from our rooms. He had to get Dr. Thomas to sign off on his things before he can actually collect them. He had Blake's things secured because of security reasons. Apparently, there have been attempts before on the regent's life by faking serious sickness so they can sneak in. Didn't happen a lot, according to him, but enough times to be careful about it.

I managed to convince him to get something to eat once we got our stuff. It would be bad if he missed out on another meal. Despite his claims to not being hungry, he sure can pack it in if he wants. It's like every spoonful he puts in his mouth is replaced with another once he swallows. And he's not being sloppy, just doing it fast. Does he even chew? I bet he's eating fast to avoid seeing Vivi or Dagger. He still looks like he doesn't want to see anyone right now.

We hopped on an aircab when we were done, one that was headed to the Business District. Apparently a whole district that's a commercial hub for the city is a better place to talk about otherworld stuff than a smaller, more contained place like the Lindblum Castle. It's his decision and I'm just here to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. If he wants to be paranoid, I'm not stopping him unless he brings it to a disturbing level.

With the aircab on route to the Business District, he tells me we need to find a place to stay in. I immediately suggest the inn that should be just across the aircab station. He declines that option, saying that Zidane will find his way there eventually. Okay, so he clearly doesn't want to see anyone from the group. He has his reasons, I bet. And that's what we are doing now. Thankfully it was still early out and that there wasn't a lot of people up and about compared to the sun. It's getting bright and pretty cool out here, like a sweet Spring morning.

Blake and I tried to find other available inns in the district, but through our whole hour search it looked like there's a lot of competition for my first suggestion. And most of them had some pretty nice digs. The problem: majority of them have a hefty price, even if it only was just a single night's stay. Blake would look at the price and immediately turn away when it's beyond our limited budget. I'd try to convince him if we can find a way to get the innkeepers to make a deal with us, like exchanging menial labor work for a discount. Sure it's unfair because I'll be doing all the work since he's told to avoid physical labor, but that's just me wanting to pull my share of the burden with our situation here. Unfortunately, we can't make a deal with the ones we tried to negotiate with. One of them actually chased us out for even suggesting it.

Our first activity would end in a failure and us sleeping in the street, or as Blake told me, "Crawling back to the castle to ask for their hospitality again. Well, you would."

Well that is if Blake doesn't consider my first suggestion. It's a pragmatic option since we both know of it from the game, it's the only inn we see there, probably with good reason, and it's close to the aircab station. He doesn't take it too well, mumbling to himself about my 'smartass suggestion', before turning around and finally agreeing.

But before we proceeded to the inn, he told me about going to a detour before we take our rooms. He said he needed to know how much money we can still use without jeopardizing our stay at the inn. Spend for what, he wouldn't say, but he did have a cheeky smile on him as he led the way.

The first stop was a modest little stand I remember from one of the Active Time Events that involved Steiner. The morning shift had already started by the time Blake and I reached an agreement on the inn debacle. Most of the shops and businesses in the district have opened up and set up to begin their daily routines and schedules. He walks over to the stall and presents the little chocobo he put on his sling. Chuck walked and chirped happily at him while the Grandma Pickle, not her actual name but she introduced herself as such, cooed at the thing and gave him a small pouch of Gyashl Pickles.

My injured friend thanked her and paid for the items, but talked with her a bit more. I was observing from a distance of the pickle smell the stand had. I won't judge anyone who eats them, but from how Steiner reacted it sure doesn't go down well through the nose. I'd rather stay away from the smell and avoid it sticking on my clothes if I want to walk around town without anyone thinking I smell like chocobo pickles.

From how the conversation was going, with the chuckling and pointing, it looked like it was a success. Blake finally stepped away with his pet in his sling and pouch of pickles in hand, thanking Grandma Pickle while sharing a laugh before rejoining me. His laugh died down when we were far away, punctuating it with a tired breath. When I looked at him, he just rolled his eyes at my concern before continuing to our next stop.

When we got there, we looked at it and stared at it.

“To be clear, I have never seen such a place in my entire life,” He commented, still staring at it.

“Me too,” I agreed. “And I’ve been to weird places.”

“Define weird.”

“This place makes all those places I’ve been look like an amusement park...an amusement park of fashion...for children...color-blind children.”

"I think I’m color-blind right now."

“Me too.”

“...I bet that corset is looking mighty fine right now.”

I grunted at him for reminding me. “Don’t even remind me...”

Right now we were looking up at a building, and by God did it look like it stands out like a sore thumb. We found it deep in the Business District, apparently following the directions Blake received from Grandma Pickle. Trust me when I say this that anyone would be able to find this place even when you're not trying. The building's design is so extravagant I feel almost poor by just looking at it. Blake's even muttering about how he's never seen so much color that it hurt his retinas.

Lemme paint a picture here. Imagine a structure from the Renaissance Era. Pretty fitting with the environment here. Now mix every color known in the color wheel and splatter it on the building. To top it off, a grand name and logo at the top. It just looks so...colorful...in a sense. I don't mean that as a compliment too.

A chime made our collective attention snap to the source of the sound and we both found ourselves looking at someone peeking out of the strange building's entrance. It was a woman. She gave us a quick once-over and made this noise that was close to a squeal.

"Ah! Potential customers!" She caught me by surprise with her eagerness that I stepped back. I felt Blake's hand stop me from hitting him. "Please, come in, come in. Don't be shy! I am here to help with your desires!"

"Desires?" We both repeat in confusion. As if that was a signal, she opened the door with a flourish dressed in a flowing, flower-patterned, bright blue dress, looking almost like one of those beautiful models showcasing those awards on a TV game show. Both Blake and I were looking at her and then at each other, wondering would could be the worst thing that could happen, before following the lady into her shop.

What welcomed us was like a mini-department just lined up in rows and shelves of various articles of clothing. On hangers, folded neatly shelf by shelf, or displayed on wooden stick models you can find samples of the store's many clothing options. There were like four other people in here and they dressed almost as brightly as the lady who brought us in. In the middle of floor was where you can find the cashier's area, a moderately-sized square divided from the rest of the area by a waist-high counter with a small access door. At the far end of the room were cubicles of curtains and thin walls for what I assume would be clothes fitting.

The woman once again stands before us and spins in place for extra flair. "Welcome to Endless Color, where you'll drown in our excess surplus of clothes!"

"That doesn't feel like a catchy catchphrase," was all I took away from her presentation. Her bright smile almost fell but she kept it up despite my comment.

"I feel like I'm drowning already," Blake uttered dryly, punctuated by Chuck’s small kweh.

"My name is Jennifer and I am the owner of Endless Color! And as our first customers for the Week of the Hunt, the only week of the year where we make hunters look the part, you guys get a discount." At the end of her announcement, some of the other people clapped, almost like it was rehearsed but managed to make the excitement sound genuine. Her eyes then scanned us up and down, her smile looking like she was thinking of something...indecent? "And it looks like you two need a miracle."

I frowned and looked at my own clothes. Okay, so the clothes I took from the Prima Vista, a mechanic's overalls set, a plain shirt underneath, and a set of boots, look a little worse for wear. Some burn marks here and a few cuts there, at least it's still wearable.

"Yes, I agree." Blake spoke up. I turn to him and see him looking at me while imitating Jennifer. Is this why he was laughing like that with Grandma Pickle? His broken wrist didn't give him an excuse to be immune from a head slap.

"I told you I had limited choices! Stop making fun of it already!" I barked at him, crossing my arms in front of me.

"Doesn't mean it's not true." He whispered to himself, wincing as he held the spot I hit.

"Oh, what was that? You wanted an imprint of my hand on the back of your skull?" I raised my hand and he instinctively flinched and moved away. The next time he acknowledges my attire I'll make sure he has to double his painkiller dosage...

Jennifer laughed at us, calling our antics 'adorable' before briefly approaching one of her employees. I was already trying to see which ones would look good on me before I feel a hand land on my shoulder. It was Jennifer again and she was guiding me to one of the rows. Over my shoulder I see Blake's being escorted by a different lady close his age to a different part of the store and it looked like he very confused by this. Jennifer, who I'll call Jenny from now on, was actually going to help me out pick out a new outfit. Okay, I'm thankful for the assistance and all, but I think I can pick out my own clothes.

There were a lot to choose from and I didn't know where to begin. Blake's helper was already gathering an armful of shirts and pants while I scanned the closest row first. I was touching the material, comparing them to the ones I have on, and they all feel much better. If it feels like running water through my hands then that gets it higher on my to-buy list. But there's just too much to choose from. Jenny was already pointing out what would go great with what, talking about complimenting colors that help bring out the eyes as well as the attractive designs that draws attention. I would usually take advice like that, but right now I'm going for something comfortable wear first before wanting to stand out.

I've taken some blouses and pants that look like my size off the racks that looked comfy to travel in while Jenny grabbed these very pretty dresses and skirts. I have to take in mind how it would affect traveling all over the place. So with five outfits in my arms I then head to the changing rooms. I carefully change out of the overalls into the clothes I took and test them by walking around in them. None of them worked out in the combos I took them so I was about to mix-and-match them or get more if they don't work, but Jenny shoved the clothes she had before I had a chance.

Well I tried them on since it was already there and they all look good, some of them made me look like a stylish hunter invited to some dance, but aside from those it just wasn't my style. Majority of what she gave me weren’t that great for travelling and some of them would only hinder when if I have to fight. Then she started giving me silly outfits to try out. The outfits she had me go through ranged from a fashionable noble to a fictional priestess to an Alexandrian soldier outfit. Why does she have this and why is it in my size!?

I had to stop her when I saw her get a corset. Thanks, but no thanks! Let me get my clothes from now on. Though if I need something for a formal event then I know where I can go and find a beautiful dress.

As I was going to get some more fashion options, I can hear Blake getting testy with the girl helping him. She'd given him suits to ensembles to a human-sized chocobo costume. His chocobo seemed entertained with all the moving and changing though, and it looked like it was pleased to see Blake look like him even if it was just a brief time. He was already thinking of putting together his own outfit instead of taking advice from the staff. Guess they were all being TOO helpful.

I got this blue and white long blouse with elbow-length sleeves with the buttons lined up on the right side of my body instead of the center and it had this cute, intricate bow right on my chest. I had some leather gloves, and a belt to hold up my dark pair of pants that let my boots, which I kept from my old attire, go under the pants finish the outfit. They fit right and I felt like I could fight a Mu with this on. I tried some practice swings with my sword to test some of my movement and it didn’t bog me down than I thought.

Happy with my choices, I waited for Blake to finish while Jenny is putting together the prices for my new apparel. Blake eventually stepped out of the changing room double checking his new garments. Gone was his salesman wannabe outfit and replacing them were a black and red button-up shirt with its long, white sleeves folded up to the elbows and a pair of slim cargo pants. His burned tie was still snugly tied around his collar and it seemed like replacing it wasn't considered when there wasn't any type of accessory available. Still sticking to his old style, but at least he had new duds, though he did look less like a salesman now.

He gives me a look when he sees me standing there waiting for him. "Wow," he says in a surprised tone as he looked away, "You certainly look like a girl now. I didn't know you had it in you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I glared at him, putting my hands on my hips. He merely shook his head, probably to avoid digging himself in another hole. "You know what, whatever. You're paying for this anyway."

And he did. He wasn't happy with the price even with the discount given to us, but he pulled out his gil and paid for the both of us. I'm thankful that he brought me here, not counting those jokes thrown my way, so that I'll finally get into something comfortable. After a few days in this thing, being in something more casual feels like a relief.

One of Jenny's girls brought our old clothes to us all folded up and properly put together before asking us if we wanted to sell them. We'd have more money in our pockets if we did, but I was planning on using my old clothes for sleeping. Blake had other reasons to keep his, yet he kept them to himself, and that got us our old attire in paper bags.

Jenny thanked us for our patronage and walked us to the door. She tapped me on the shoulder and said something that might be helpful in the coming days. "If you or your friend need some extra gil, we can use a few extra hands here."

"We'll think about it," was my response. Might as well have options, right?

She nodded and smiled. I joined Blake outside and we started making our way to the inn.

\- FF FF FF -

We eventually reach our destination with no more detours, walking through the door of the Bobo Bird Inn, the actual name of the inn apparently. The innkeeper there greeted us happily with a wave with what seemed like his signature greeting. We both walked over to the counter and asked if there were still any free rooms. Apparently we're lucky today as we find out that there are two vacant rooms due to "complications". That sounded a bit suspicious, but I'm not turning him down.

Since we've been going around the district for most of the day, I was thinking about going for some rest and a shower as the day gets hotter. I haven't gotten the chance to take one since yesterday's excitement. Plus, as much as I like these boots, I can't spend all day wearing them. After that I should be able to get Blake to talk strategy.

The innkeeper hands us our keys, mine had a 6 on the keychain while Blake had a 5, and directed us to our rooms. I took mine after thanking him and followed his instructions. Our climb up the stairs was met with a well-lit hallway and a bunch of numbered doors. The rooms were arranged in a way where the odd-numbered doors were on the left and the even on the right if you started to count from the stairs, meaning my room and Blake’s room were directly opposite of each other. A final door on the far side of the hallway wasn’t numbered, but had a sign of two figures instead. I was guessing that's the bathroom.

I opened my room and immediately closed in when I got inside. I was greeted with a small room painted green with flowery designs like leaves and stems near the corners. There was a bed fit for one person, a small side table with a lamp, a closet, two windows with brown curtains embroidered with designs of roses and sunflower, and a desk with a simple wooden chair. It's already better than the room we had in Dali, even though this one is simpler.

Checking the closet, I found that it only had two towels provided by the inn and some hangers. This should be enough room for all the clothes I have, which isn't that much. I grabbed one of the towels and made my way to the bathroom. There's enough room here to fit all you need in a bathroom. Moderately-sized shower with a mirror right above it, a sink, and a toilet on the other side. Good to know that they have these things available. I guess I should've expected them to when they have steampunk technology and magic.

About thirty minutes of a good shower and putting on my clothes again, I knock on Blake's door while I wrapped my towel around my hair to let it dry. He answers the door by opening it just a little bit. Only part of his face was pressed up against it to see me standing right in front of him. "What do you want?"

"I was thinking we should talk about what we should do next." I replied. The black-haired teenager in the room actually let me in, closing it the moment I was inside.

"Right. It never hurts to be prepared for the future." He says as he lies back down on his bed. His room was pretty much the same, from the curtains to the placement of the furniture. Most of his things I see lay scattered on the surface of the desk. I ignored his messy property and took the chair, turning it around and sat on it. "It's inevitable to plan out everything since we're here. We are bound to have changed something, whether it was directly or indirectly."

"I dunno if me temporarily working with the crew of the Prima Vista is gonna change anything, but I'm sure Steiner not being poisoned is my doing."

"Glad to hear you are finally admitting your fault in that." I see Blake grin from his spot. I only rolled my eyes at him since I'm not in the mood to argue right now. Especially when it's something that should've been forgotten. Bringing that up is my fault. Should've kept my mouth shut about it. "I did, however, cause a bit of a ruckus back in Alexandria. I still don't know if that will have a minor or major effect in the overall story." He looks away for a bit, looking thoughtful when he suddenly says, "Though that might have caused that soldier to go after me. Stupid girl with a crazy sense of justice..."

Speaking of not bringing up mistakes. "Pretty sure Steiner remembering you pushing that soldier off the airship will have some kind of crime be put over your head," I retort. His grin soured, a small victory for me.

"It's not murder if there's nobody-"

"No body? I'm sure there was a body falling about twenty feet down to a shallow body of water. There were a lot of witnesses, though." I tell him as I dry my hair a bit more before laying it around my shoulders.

"I meant if there's nobody to kill!" He corrected me, irritated of the accusation. "I didn't kill her! Besides, she's a non-factor. The kingdom wouldn't really care all that much for a single casualty with how they tried to get the princess back." I was about to interject another point, but he raised his hand to cut me off. "Nobody or not, that soldier's a irrelevant statistic. If I'm going to be accused of anything, it would be assisting gravity."

Moving past denial and blame-shifting... "The Festival is going to happen soon. The town's going to be filled with monster killing hunters for glory. It's a waste leaving the castle since we're gonna have to go back there when the event starts."

He waved off my point. "We wouldn't be having this conversation if we were still there. Too many guards patrolling the place, too little privacy. Just because the rooms look open and big doesn't mean we're safe. Only the regent can afford privacy there since he rules the place."

"Geez, you're thinking as if there's a bug in every room like back home..." Lindbum may look like an industrial marvel with their technology, but thinking that they're secretly similar to the infrastructure of Earth in the 21st century is not a likely thing to happen.

"Can't take any chances. We may be more advanced, they have magic here. We don't.” Do they have that kind of magic here? “But anyway, after the Festival is where the main story moves forward with the main conflict for the first and second disc..."

We reviewed each other on the events following the Festival of the Hunt. From the invasion of Burmecia to the journey to the Outer Continent in pursuit of Kuja up to where the main villain of the game takes control of Bahamut to eliminate the forces of Queen Brahne. That covered entire Alexandrian Invasion arc and then some and he left it at that for now. His reason being 'No need to focus on things that that far in the future'. With the events we went through, it looked like our presence here might have some small changes, hopefully those changes aren't big enough to alter story events.

There's also the problem of MJM though. He might be another variable in this equation or he might just be an extra we're overthinking about. Who knows? We don't. For all we know he's still in Dali taking care of the factory and the weapons they're making. If that's the case then taking care of business in the Outer Continent should fix that.

After that is the issue of going home. Will we be able to find a way or will we be stuck here forever? Blake looked like he was thinking deeply into finding a way back to our world, but he didn't have any clues on how to do that, and he expressed his anger in not knowing how to. I obviously don't either. I don't want to get complacent about this, but we don't really have any power that could bring about a way to solve this problem. Terra might have the technology to do it, with their study of souls and Garland's experiment there and all, but that seems very far off and I think waiting that long might not be in the cards. It's possible we won't last until then since the enemy would be WAY overpowered compared to the two of us—

No, don't think like that! The moment you think you don't have a chance it becomes real. Just focus on getting through the day before worrying about your future.

"At least there aren't that many things to worry about..." I mumbled as I went over the next future events.

"There might not be as many, but they're big enough. And we're one of those variables. Just us being has changed a few things. Who knows how much more?"

Then that brings up what I want to talk about. "Then that means we shouldn't keep everything as they should be, right?"

He sits up again, this time looking shocked. "What? No! We should KEEP everything as they should be as much as we can."

"Why?" I simply asked.

"Don't you remember what I said back in the Prima Vista? Information is power. We're just normal people in a cast of the extraordinary. What we know of the future is our only advantage!"

If we can change anything in this world, it should be how the future can be less destructive. We might be able to save lives! "Well we don't need to change a lot of things. Just enough to get a better future."

"The moment we change something major is when we shoot ourselves in the foot! We'll be limping into a battle we didn't know is an actual battle for our lives!"

"It's not like we'll be alone in this. I'm sure everyone will be willing to help."

Blake scoffed. "Oh yeah, the monkey boy who is also from a different planet, the girl with the royal burden, the kid with existential issues, and the overprotective knight. I'm sure telling them all of this won't bring about bigger issues."

"They're our friends. I know they trust us. But this isn't about them. This is about what we can do with what we have. We've already affected the world in multiple ways." We've already given out the points where we had an effect on the world.

"Those are mistakes." He glared at me as he put emphasis on that last word. "My encounter with that soldier is one. Trying to be a hero on the cargo ship is another. All of it has been a big pain in the ass. I don't plan on making more."

"Do you even know how much help we could be in this world?"

"I know it would be all a waste the moment we find our way back home!"

"What if we don't!?" Damn it, it slipped. It got tense and quiet all of a sudden. We both got into the heat of it and were basically leaning in to deliver our points. I had to take in a breath and let it out slowly, my back easing out to meet again with the chair. Blake looked like he was he wasn't letting his stance on the argument go. Thankfully he isn’t shouting anymore.

He then gets up from his bed, Chuck tweeting worriedly after him, but he ignored it and simply went to the door. He opened it and stepped aside. So that's it then? What he says goes and that's final? I shake my head before standing up.

"Us being here is wrong and you know it. But we’re not responsible for that. What we can be responsible for is what happens now that we’re here. We can still help them." I tell him when I stopped out of his door. Blake didn't bother to look at me, but by how he exhaled, hiding a grunt in his breath, he didn't like hearing that and wanted that to be the end of it.

"We can fight with them, but that doesn't mean we have to fight for them." Blake says decisively. He made sure to let me know how he felt with my points by slamming the door right behind me, causing me to flinch with the sound of the door's impact almost booming down the hall. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone peeked their heads out wondering what the hell was happening. There wasn't anyone else in the hallway, probably life giving me a bit of a break.

I didn't want to be in the inn after that tense exchange. As it turns out when I was trying to relax and let go of the argument, as much as I want to knock on his door and try to convince him that he's wrong, that my hands were clenched. It took me half the hallway to notice it and relax the hand. Blake might not want to hear about it today, but I can't let that be the end of it! But right now after dealing with his stubbornness I felt like going for a walk.

Walking past the confused innkeeper and out of the building, I had no destination in mind but my legs still carried me into the streets of the Business District. I didn't get into many arguments in my life, but when I did walking off helped clear my mind of it. I was marching around various people, trying to keep out their way while venting with my feet against the sidewalk, the various noises around me just going through deaf ears. Maybe I should've paid attention where I was going or what was happening when I nearly hit a parade of construction workers going for a break, but I couldn't help think about what Blake said as much as I want to put it behind me for now.

My mind keeps trying to find reasons why Blake is so adamant in keeping things the way they are. We've already changed a handful of things, he’s clearly admitted that, and it surely has affected the story, but there doesn't seem to be anything major that's going to screw us over in the next few days. Hell, even Blake taking Steiner's place in being poisoned by the plants back in Evil Forest did almost nothing to the story.

Okay, so that's a pretty easy thing to point out.

Blake had good points though, I'll give him that, but there's something about them that doesn't feel good about it, almost neglectful to the premise of his argument. It's like he sees a fight happening in front of it and knows how to stop it, but he stays in the sidelines watching the whole thing happen nonchalantly, only putting on his concerned face when someone looks at him for a brief moment during the fight and then instantly dropping it when everyone's attention if off him. He doesn't look like the type of guy to take joy in doing that sort of thing.

He's brought up this point back in the cargo ship before we fought Black Waltz No. 3. His suggestion was to hide in the engine room of the ship, not because we're cowards, but because we're not “obligated” to fight. Did he need obligation to take part in anything? He's avoided most of the fighting when he can because of his injury. Okay, that's fine. Maybe he doesn't want to reinjure it before the third Black Waltz went to town on it.

Yet when I look back in our past battles he did step in a lot when he had the opportunity. Like during the Prison Cage fight, he stabbed it like crazy when it went down momentarily, or when the chocobo cart was being attacked. There's also the boss fight with Black Waltz No. 2 that got him a lot of flak with Steiner. Even when he suggested to hide away from the fight or started the encounter in the cabin with Dagger, he was the one who stepped in twice to give us a chance to stop the third Black Waltz.

So what does that mean after all he's said about not having to fight? He believes that the both of us aren't obligated to fight alongside Zidane and the others, yet runs interference or helps out anyway.

Each time he jumped in the fight there's a calculated risk. He should've known the risks each time he intervened or caused a distraction. It just turned out that his most recent one didn't pan out greatly for him. When you take a chance, you always risk something bad or good would happen to you. Risk is something you face every day, whether you know it or not. That's also something we have to consider if we want to change something in this world, and Blake's already decided that is something not worth doing.

And that is what's frustrating about what he said! He clearly knows the pros and cons, yet he's the one facing away from something that could help us do some good in this world. We might be able to stop Alexandria early and prevent the disasters that country will cause later. Act now for the future and all that. It's frustrating he thinks that if we change anything that we'd basically sign our own death warrant.

Well he got plant poison in his lungs by accident, but he didn't die now, did he? I'm sure he's still breathing in the inn! Oh look, no one died because of that change!

If he knows how to change the world and knows the risk, then what is he afraid of!?

...Calm down, Alyssa. Breathe in, breathe out. You're walking so you can put this whole thing in the back burner and try again later. It might not happen today, it could be tomorrow or later (if I'm being positive and hopeful and if Blake's being reasonable) that he might help me with a way to do this.

Out of the corner of my eye as I was turning a corner, I notice something familiar pass me by. My peripheral vision caught some of it, but the sight of something brown flailing in the air with wind under it caused my head to turn after it. The moment I tried looking for it though, it was gone. Strange, I thought I'd seen something I've seen before. Maybe I should be focusing on where I'm going instead of rattling on and on in my head...

And when I turn back to keep walking, I feel something grab my shoulder.

Maybe it was my leftover frustration from my exchange with Blake that transferred over to adrenaline or my self-defense lessons kicking in, but whatever it was it kicked in and made me grab the limb, twist around it and throw the individual over my shoulder. I put my knee where its neck should be and ready a punch. Then I realize this person trying to grab me didn't mean to surprise me because of how shocked they looked. His other hand was held up in surrender and the shock transitioned to embarrassment. His yellow tail tapped me on the arm, probably trying to say he's tapping out.

"Zidane?" I lowered my punching hand, still confused as to what he was doing.

"N-Nice hustle there, Alyssa. Can you ease up a bit? Having trouble breathing here..." Zidane pointed to the knee putting pressure on his neck. Seeing that I was causing discomfort on him, I stood up as quickly as I threw him and put a hand forward.

"Sorry about that! I wasn't thinking straight!"

The former member of Tantalus coughed a bit, but he was back to his normal self just a few seconds later, waving it all off with his hand before taking my hand. "No big deal. It's not every day I get flipped over in the middle of the street."

I pull him up easily and watch him dust off his clothes. My little act there attracted a bit of attention from the surrounding folks, staring as if they were' waiting for a fight to happen. The moment I apologized they had started to disperse and move on with their lives.

"Why were you even sneaking up on me? Don't you know girls don't like it when guys do that?"

He was scratching the back of his head now. "You looked like you just walked out of a shower. Thought you were lost or something."

"Eh?" I look down and finally get what he meant. The towel I used earlier was still on my shoulders and my brown hair glistened from the moisture that's yet to dry, even after the talk with Blake and the venting walk I just had. Sometimes having long hair is a pain...

"You look like you need a break. Let's dry your hair off first." Agreeing with him, I was about to head back the way I went. Then I realized I'd basically wandered off into streets I don't think I've been to earlier. This is what happens when you "vent" without having any kind of destination.

"Can you help me get back to the inn? I kinda lost my way..." I ask him, blushing bit because of my stupidity.

"Inn?" He repeated, surprised I brought that place up. "Weren't you staying in the castle with Dagger and Vivi?"

I sigh. "I'll tell you all about it on the way there." Except for the parts about changing world events, otherworldly secrets, and the brief consideration of wearing a corset. Those are things he can live without knowing. Until I can find the right time, that is.

Not the corset though! No one needs to know about that!


	20. Gil in One Hand, Questions in the Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calming down in Lindblum.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 19: Gil In One Hand, Questions in the Other

\- Alyssa -

"So let me get this straight…" Zidane tried to summarize as we sat on a bench. "Blake wanted to leave the castle because he wasn't comfortable staying there and preferred somewhere smaller. Then after that you guys had an argument, which lead you to walking out into the street with your hair still wet that got me flipped over your shoulder because I caught you off-guard. Is that it?"

"That's pretty much the gist of it." I nodded as I dried the tips of my brown hair, the last portion that remained significantly wet. With that done, I started to fold the towel.

After my attempt to clear my head and walk for a few minutes, I got lost in my head and in the city and found myself wondering if it was a good idea to even wander about by myself. In hindsight it probably wasn't since the only parts of town I'm familiar with are the ones shown in the game. That's not much though when each district in the game only had like three to five screens with limited accessibility.

Good thing Zidane was there when I realized my mistake, though he might think otherwise after I threw him to the ground. That's why you don't sneak up on people even in crowded streets. Maybe since he's a thief he doesn't know that lesson. Glad I'm here to provide something helpful for the guy. I guess that makes us even now?

"Shouldn't he be in bed resting up after what happened," he asked.

"Well he was since he had a whole day to sleep in, but I guess the castle wasn't the place for him. And it sucks too since the rooms there are fantastic!"

"That's what Vivi says too. Have you told Dagger and Vivi you were staying somewhere else?"

I shook my head. I assumed Blake didn't want to deal with anyone else after being in such a bad mood when he woke up. It's understandable he'd be pissed at injuring his wrist again, but not wanting to talk with your other friends and just bolt out of there? Then again with how he talked about not telling the others about who we really are, it makes me wonder if he thinks of them as their friends. I do, especially after we've been through the past few days.

"Oh man, Dagger even wanted to chew him out for that stunt he did, but couldn't since he was out for the day."

"That's what I said to him earlier and that just made him get outta there faster!" We laughed. He might've gotten a bit roughed up by Steiner after what he did during the fight with Black Waltz No. 2, but I'm sure that might be far better than what the princess of Alexandria has to say.

"At least he has you to look after him." He commented.

"Dr. Thomas said it would give him some peace of mind if someone did. You know with how reckless the guy is, getting hurt again is pretty possible." And he kinda trusts me to do so. I would've added that, but that might only make Zidane ask why I was so trusted or how he doesn't trust the others to help out.

The former Tantalus member gave me a look, his lips almost curled to a smile as if hiding it but simply couldn't help himself. When I gave him a questioning look he probably realized the face he was doing and snapped back to reality and put up his hands in surrender.

"So he moved out of a place with a better bed and downgraded. Odd choice. And he's out like a light again?" I shrugged at his question. He didn't really say anything about what he wanted to do aside from out up his feet after a lot of walking. I'm just assuming he'd be napping in there. "How is that guy not full or energy yet?"

"He kinda looks like the type of guy who'd want to stay in instead of be out and about." I remarked. It's really surprising too after all the sleep he got.

"You sure know a lot about that guy." The guy beside me chuckled. What's that supposed to mean?

Zidane leans back into the bench after a few seconds of awkward silence, not caring about the looks some of the other people passing by gave us for being a bit too loud. Then he puts his chin in his hand as if he had a thought about something. It wasn't until a moment later, when he looks at me with a raised eyebrow, that he broaches the topic by pointing at the inn. "So if he wasn't comfortable in the castle, why is he staying at the inn?"

"Well that place is affordable and was the closest. The other places were too much for our pockets and—"

"I mean, why bother with an inn? Doesn't he live here in Lindblum?"

...Crap! He did mention that to Dagger in the cargo ship when our conversation got a bit too loud. When did Zidane hear about this? "Uh...I'm not really sure." Yeah, that sure sounds like it'd convince the guy, Alyssa.

"I mean you'd want to save money by going home instead of buying a room here. This inn is cheap, at least affordable to most people, but it's still a waste when you already live here."

"I...er..." Crapcrapcrap! Words fumbling. Excuses lacking. Need help!

"Plus, if he can make the brief journey to the Business District then he should be able to go over to his house, right?"

I laughed nervously and tried to nod, hoping that would get him to stop questioning. It didn't and Zidane went on as if he was making a vocal stream of consciousness journal.

"Unless he's avoiding going home for a specific reason. Reminds me of the one time I got Blank and Genero in trouble with the law, complete accident by the way, and the boss was waiting for me in the hideout. That was a group meeting I didn't want to walk into. Blank and Genero would forgive me, but the boss was a hard-ass back in the day so he's really wanted to teach me a lesson."

I guess this is another problem I have, and probably something I need to fix on my own. Blake easily goes through his backstory whenever Zidane and the others sneak up on us and ask questions. He's even the one who "gave" me one, though to be honest I didn't need it. Right now I just need to figure something out so Zidane won't be suspicious. Not that hard...right?

"...So I hid around town to avoid him, but a thief can never run for all his life. Baku got to me and thrashed me for being sloppy AND for running. Goes to show you that you need to face some problems head on. So, what's Blake's reason? Or maybe he just doesn't want to go home?"

"Not that. He actually wants to go home." A whole lot of truth to that one, but not the kind of home Zidane is thinking about.

Zidane hummed curiously at my interruption. He's looking at me as if he was waiting for me to say more. That brief answer didn't look like it convinced him either. Okay, just try something! Anything that could hopefully work! Oh! "Maybe for work?"

"Work?" He repeated. I nodded as my brain tried to think of more stuff to add to that. Then his tail stopped for a second, kinda like it was making him look like he realized something. "Oh yeah, how could I forget? He's a salesman."

"Y-Yeah. Salesman." I forgot that's part of his created backstory. He sure doesn't look like the part anymore, but what can you do when you need to buy a change of clothes. But still, I nodded more at what Zidane said.

He was nodding to himself, trying and successfully understanding the point he was making on his own. "I guess staying here makes sense since this is the Business District. Gotta be close to every customer and competitor in his line of work, especially when he's all banged up like that. Easier to get to and shorter travel time. He'd just have to walk for a few minutes."

"You got it." I let Zidane fill in the blanks while I internally felt the tension in my shoulders loosen.

"Anyway!" He suddenly declares as he jumps off the bench on to his feet. "It might be a bit early and it there's still plenty of daylight to go through. You got any plans?"

Yeah, there's plenty of time in the day yet. The day's just passed lunchtime anyway. Tons of things to do, tons of places to explore, probably might not do that last part by myself. I can't go running around without Blake since I need to keep an eye out for him. But with all I did this morning I kinda want to get some rest before going around town.

"I was kinda thinking of going to the castle." As I get up and collect my folded towel, I add what I want to do. "Dagger and Vivi deserve an explanation why Blake and I aren't around. I might invite Vivi later when I want to go around town in a few hours.

"Sounds fun. I'll just go with you and see what's up with everyone."

"Let me just put this away and then we can go."

Zidane nods and decides to wait for me as I bring my towel back to the inn and have it washed. I may have two towels in total but it sure does help to have this one dried out just in case. Most of my friendly get-togethers back at home had me having more than one towel available for so many reasons. Might as well keep that tradition alive here.

As I was walking up the stairs to the second floor of the inn, I hear some noises from one of the rooms. I slow my approach as I try to find the source. The noise is muffled due to the doors being secured and the walls being thick enough to make the inn feel private. It could be anything from one of the guests dropping their stuff to people having a 'playful' rendezvous, but it wouldn't hurt to know where it's coming from.

Then I find out that the sounds were coming from Room 5. That's Blake's room. Obviously he's not having any kind of rendezvous there. But why is he talking so much? He might be the kind to utter things to himself, but full blown conversations? He's probably gone crazy or has taken his meds and it's taking an undesired effect.

I rap my knuckles against his door. The sounds stop for a moment before it was followed by a toned down voice. "Blake? You alright in there?"

What sounded like feet started moving towards the door. The lock was opened and his face peeped through the crack he made at the edge of the doorway. "What do you want?" His eyes don't even meet mine, like he was looking at something else in the room.

"You feeling okay? It kinda sounds like you were talking in there."

He briefly looks at me as if I said something stupid. "Of course I was. I'm talking to Chuck here. Can't a parent chat with his chocobo without being judged? Sheesh, what a nosey woman."

Okay, that last part was uncalled for even if it looked like he was saying it to himself. Looks like he's still in a sour mood. "Well sorry I asked." I was about to leave him to his own problems when my brain just registered what he had just said. Then I turn around and grin at him, wagging my finger at him. "Well I'm glad you're taking your parental responsibilities seriously. Can't have a baby chocobo grow up without being treated properly~."

Blake realized his mistake and was mouthing numerous words like a fish gasping for air. His face started to go red and he finally let words form out of his mouth. "Oh shut up."

And with that he slammed the door closed, this time however I feel like I won that exchange. Let's just take that victory and hope we can get one where it actually counts. Now, where do I put this towel for washing?

-Blake-

"Us being here is wrong and you know it. But we're not responsible for that. What we can be responsible for is what happens now that we're here. We can still help them." Alyssa said as she stopped beside me, causing me to frown where she used to sit just a few moments before. I would have raised my voice and told her she was being a selfish know-it-all, but I settled on gripping the doorknob as hard as I can, refocusing all that energy into something that wouldn't attract any attention.

I face her as she stands there out in the corridor. "We can fight with them, but that doesn't mean we HAVE to fight FOR them."

And with that, I let the door smack against the frame with a noise that would have turned heads outside wondering what that was. The chocobo sitting on my bed looks at me with a slight tilt of the head and a soft kweh, possibly frightened by the slam of the door. Calming down with a few breaths, I walk over and retake my previous position, moving Chuck aside just a little bit in order to avoid squashing it.

I sigh and comb my left hand through my hair in an effort to relieve some stress. That girl is seriously a handful. There's always something bad about her line of thinking and with what she wants done. It's like her priorities don't include sustaining her own survival. Doesn't she even realize how stupid she sounds when she brought it up? 'We can still help them.' Blah. Her and her self-righteousness...

We seriously do not need to do anything that would clearly endanger us. She wants to 'help' the people here by letting them know what happens in the future. There are already three problems with that.

One, if we happen to change anything then we might get involved in bigger messes. Her intent may aim to have good effects in the world, but did she ever consider what kind of negative effects she might cause. If I do happen to agree with her and go about doing something with our information, like say, tell Regent Cid that Alexandria is invading Burmecia for example. Sure it might stop a war from happening, but what if that caused Lindblum to be annihilated by the queen's stolen eidolons? That's a possibility and I don't want to sit around thinking of infinite negative possibilities from these actions we introduce to the game's story.

There are always consequences when things change. I've handled as much consequences from the changes we've indirectly and directly caused. I would rather not encounter any more of these because, for the life of me, I want to experience less pain and even lesser broken bones.

Two, losing the ability to know what kind of dangers we might face. That's my main problem with her regarding this whole thing and a very big deal about our knowledge. I want to know how to stay safe and I can't assure myself that I am if I'm always looking over my shoulder or thinking I might run into something life threatening every five steps I take. I NEED to know that everything is going as it happens in the game. Why? Because it helps us not stumble around in the dark and know where to go. I don't want to change anything because it might change the major story beats. If we did we might run into major complications, like encountering General Beatrix where she shouldn't be encountered or bringing about the end of Queen Brahne sooner than the game's actual events. It also might push events farther in time or put them closer to today. I need to be ready for everything, and I can't deal with those complications if they happen out of order.

Three, giving away what we know will need us to reveal to everyone our secrets. If we actually do go through with this, people will wonder how in the world a stranger know about what happens in the future. Once they have a taste of that they will want the whole plate. They will get greedy and will want to track us down, demand to know more of the future, take advantage of every drop of information until we're run dry or unable to predict the future.

And that's just talking about everyone we don't know and those in power. What about the people we DO know? Zidane, Dagger, Vivi, and Steiner. As much as I think less of people I don't know, these are individuals I have traveled with and are characters I know about. I do not want to know how they will react and respond when they find out that we are not who we say we are. However, it is inevitable to hide secrets forever. There will be a time when this will happen, but I do hope that this happens when we have found our way home, when we'll be gone to even answer those questions for them.

Alyssa is right about one thing. Our presence here is one big disturbance that even the both of us don't know how to solve. I've already told her that there's bound to be someone out there that might use us for what we have. That is a major occurrence I never want to happen to either of us. If she insists on doing what she wants then it'll only be a matter of time that both of us get caught. I'd rather jump off the side of a cliff before I let them have the information in my head.

Can she, at least, continue to follow my lead without questioning my decisions? I've done a ton of stuff for her. I've provided a new sword for her, I made her backstory, I've forgiven her for her blunder that caused me to get plant seeds in my system, and I've now bought her a new outfit so I can no longer make fun of her disastrous mechanic uniform choice. I would appreciate it more if she just takes some of the weight off my shoulders by never thinking about the concept of change ever again.

"Kweh?" My ears pick up the sound of Chuck, disrupting my thoughts. With a sigh, I open my eyes and find it on my stomach tying to climb up my new shirt. It sure likes exploring a lot now and it's getting better at walking. Perhaps I should let it walk on its own now. No, it's still too small. It might meet its end on the boot of some poor individual not paying attention to where they are going.

"What's wrong? Hungry?" I let it get on my other hand and inspect it closely as I wonder why it was making those sounds just a second earlier. Perhaps it is hungry or just wanting my attention.

With that in mind, I get up and walk over to the desk where I let the chocobo down. It waddles over to the small pouch containing the tasty Gyashl Pickles. So it is hungry. Letting the pouch open a bit and pull one out for the little bird, I set one of the pickles on the desk and close the pouch before its major odor seeps into the room. I can handle one pickle in the room since it is going to be eaten in a few minutes.

A yawn escapes my lips as I watch Chuck nibble into the tasty treat. Watching it eat was barely boring at all. It must be all the walking I've done the past few hours as well as the whole clothes shopping. This new get-up should last me a long time, unless it gets wrecked in the future. This should be a good time as any to break it in.

"I'm going to take a nap," I tell it as I fetch one of the pillows on my bed. "Don't want to crush you while I sleep, so I'll leave this here if you want to sleep too after you're done eating." I place the pillow on the desk, tapping it to flatten it a bit before giving the chocobo one last pat before going to my bed.

Its soft kwehs lingers in the air as I position my injured arm on another pillow. When my head's rested on a pillow it turns back to the pickle to take another bite, comforted that I'm laying down and about to sleep. I let the thoughts of the argument slip out of my mind as I fall into, hopefully, a brief nap.

I didn't have anything on me or in the room to tell me about how long it was, but I did feel groggy when I was woken up. What roused me was this melodic sound coming from inside the room. My brain was still trying to wake up from that short sleep, but I am definitely sure I did not have anything that plays music on me nor is there any machine in the inn that functions like a jukebox.

I turn my head left and right in an attempt to find the source of this noise and my eyes catch a sighting of something brown by the desk. As comforting as finding the source was, I had to double take the instant my brain registered the fact that the source was a person standing in my room. I instantly sat up and cleared my eyes of grogginess.

Standing there with her brown cloak facing me and a gentle hand combing through the black, delicate locks of Chuck whilst humming this soft tone was Meguro.

"Y-You!" My body nearly falls off the bed as I tried to get off it and demand why there's another person in here with me. Thankfully I was able to grab on to the covers and save myself the humiliation of throwing myself off my own bed. The wearer of the brown cloak turns around, looking surprised that I was woken up by her little noises.

"Greetings, my child." She spoke, transitioning her humming to a gentle speaking voice. "Oh my, you look like you've just seen a ghost."

I touched my face and found a trail of sweat running down from my forehead to my cheek. I can't help feeling panicked when there's someone else in my room!

"Apologies. The cries of your little chocobo attracted my attention." Her eyes panned over to Chuck, who she was comforting by petting it. Chuck didn't look bothered by having a complete stranger touch it.

"How did you even get in here!?" The tone of my voice was probably attracting attention. One would be so loud like me right now if they did find an intruder in their room, especially when they could have broken in. A bigger problem aside from unwanted intruders is the mysterious kind of intruder, a perfect description for the lady in front of me.

Her answer was a simple, small smile. "How was your flight to Lindblum?" Changing topics. Can't let you do that.

"I asked you a question first."

Her eyes look towards the splint around my right arm. She hissed once she realized the implications of my arm's new look. "I see your situation has worsened. You have my sympathies."

"I don't need your sympathy. What I need are answers. You're clearly following me yet you ask me how I'm doing. Can we just cut to the chase and answer the questions you owe me!?"

She merely put up a hand, making me pause unconsciously before I started another rant. "Hush, my child. I will answer some of your inquiries. Please sit."

I blinked. After vanishing on me the last time we met, I expected some sort of resistance or stalling before she vanished again. As she took the chair from the desk and pulled it closer, I sat down on the edge of my bed. Meguro noticed Chuck tweeting behind her and cooed at the bird's antics to make it quiet down. She even took it from the pillow it was sat on and handed it over to me.

Once Chuck was in my hand, I trained my eyes on her, almost expecting her to not be there anymore if I happen to look away. Being Batman'd again before she answers my questions is something I would like to prevent. "Well?"

Meguro put up three fingers as she began. "I will only answer three of your questions. Nothing more, nothing less."

Wait. Only three questions? Are you kidding me? What's with the genie bullshit? Why even bother talk to me right now when you are going to limit the choices for conversation like that? Okay, let's calm down before I accidentally mutter all these questions and have her answer them when I have actual questions to ask. I can be angry all I want, but that wouldn't change the fact that she tried to equal any demand I might put forth with a limiter. It still sounds like she is hiding something and hoping that I don't ask the right questions.

But then a great thought comes into mind: what are the right questions to ask?

All I have on her is her name and that she apparently follows me around. I have not seen her in the distance or noticed her presence before until she wants it to be known. Perhaps her actual presence here is one of the many questions that I want answered.

"Just who in the hell are you?" I finally asked.

Meguro gestured to herself with a hand on her chest. "As I have stated before, my name is Meguro. I am a traveler. Most people who know me say that I am the observational type."

When she stopped at that, I found her answer very lacking. "Really? That's it? You couldn't be even vaguer if you tried. Well, I think you can be vaguer than that."

"Hmmm...? It is true at face value, that I can assure you." I narrowed my eyes at the woman. She's sitting there plainly with her hands folded at her legs, her hood down to let her bun-tied white hair breathe, and only waited for me to say something. I'm waiting for something to show me that she's hiding something, like a crooked smile, a twitch in her hands, anything that might give her away. Even with all my time spent watching Lie to me, her body language didn't give off anything useful. But my mind can't help but think she's sitting there chuckling internally and telling me to take what she said as what it literally means, and thinking about it like that pisses me off.

As little as that answer offered, I'm one question down for what it's worth. That is if I can take her answer seriously and trust that what she's saying has no vague second meanings.

"I do not mean to offend you, but your actions have caused some rather interesting results. Not everyone can lead a battalion of soldiers in chase like that in Alexandria."

"So you've been watching me since then..."

"I was in town and it attracted a lot of attention. I couldn't help it." Now that's a statement worth being curious about...

"Your responses, even though you've answered only one question, just reeks of suspiciousness."

She nods at my comment and none of her hair even goes out of place. "Being cautious is commendable, especially for someone in your situation. Trust is not a throwaway currency here so I understand your comprehension."

What did she mean by that first line? As tempting it was ask another question, I just wanted to point out something by her tone. "That sounds like what someone would say if they want to earn their trust."

Her head tilts at the side when she hears that. "Even if I were to help you with no cost?"

"That just makes you all the more suspicious," I pointed out.

It was her turn to ask a question. "Don't you trust the goodness in everyone's heart?" And she punctuates that by placing a hand on her chest, as if saying I can help you, you know?

I did not expect that kind of question from someone like her. A strange traveler walking in a cloak of mysteriousness, but even with that in mind I still answered her with what I impulsively thought about her question. "Nobody just goes out of their way to help someone. There's always something behind it. Whether it may be a pretentious feeling of heroism or becoming indebted to their helper or being a cog in someone's grand master plan. There's always a motive. Always."

"I see..." The enigmatic lady trailed off, nodding at my answer. She didn't look offended at my answer, and I wouldn't bother caring because it's my opinion, but her expression made her out to be intrigued by what she heard. "You have two more questions. Keep in mind that you may want to avoid the trivialities."

Good point. We can't just branch out and talk about something like vagueness and trust all day.

Just as I was trying to piece together my next inquiry, I hear a knock at my door. Both of our heads turn to the noise. Everything is quiet until another voice, muffled, speaks.

"Blake? You alright in there?" Alyssa? What's she doing out there?

Meguro simply smiles and gestures to the door, as if granting me permission to take care of the nuisance out in the door. I don't need your permission. She just took me by surprise. I thought she wouldn't want to talk to me after what we said to each other before. I hurried over to the door whilst keeping an eye on the woman in the chair by my bed. It would have completed my intentions with a "keeping my eyes on you" signal with my hand if I wasn't so busy opening the door.

"What do you want?" I ask through the small crack in the door.

"You feeling okay? It kinda sounds like you were talking in there." The girl with her somewhat-still-moist brown hair tried to open the door more and I kept it in position with my foot. Concerned, are we? I guess caring for what you can change in the world isn't enough.

I answer as I constantly switch my sights between her and Meguro. "Of course I was. I'm talking to Chuck here." Can't a parent chat with his chocobo without being judged? Sheesh, what a nosey woman.

"Well sorry I asked." She accepted my answer and was about to turn to her room when she suddenly faced me again, this time with this weird smile on her face and wagging her finger at me. "Well I'm glad you're taking your parental responsibilities seriously. Can't have a baby chocobo grow up without being treated properly~."

That coming from her caught me off-guard. I tried to come up with a suitable comeback, but I was stuck combing through words with my mouth flapping open and closed before I went with something generic. "Oh shut up."

I closed the door forcefully, hopefully with the same impact as the same time she left earlier, but it didn't feel like it as I grunted at the now closed door. Chuck's kweh after the ending of that little exchange brought me a bit of comfort.

What didn't give me comfort was the empty chair sitting between the bed and the desk. In the tiniest moment I had looked away, Meguro had once again disappeared.

Desperately looking around for a sign of the cloaked woman, nothing seemed to point to any way she might have gone to. The window hadn't budged, the closet looked untouched, and there didn't seem to be any hidden doorway or entrance anywhere! I tried to move at the chair and see if she's just invisible or not. When my hands didn't touch anything, I tried calling out to her softly. That also failed.

My left hand clenches in anger. That woman did it again! At least Batman has an excuse. That he's a busy superhero, always on duty to protect the citizens of Gotham from whatever villain-of-the-week is on the loose. She doesn't have that. Can she, at least, offer some courtesy and say where she's going and where she can be found? And she still owes me two questions! Now I don't even know how I'll get to continue this conversation with her popping in and out when she wants.

...Okay, let's look at things differently for once. At least I won't be put on the spot like now. I can actually think about what I want to know from her. She seems to know more than she lets on. There's also what she said back in Dali, that I shouldn't let anyone know I was talking to her and that she can be helpful. There's a lot of questions that I can put together and find out which ones take precedence.

I need a pen and paper...

-Alyssa-

Once I put away the towel and properly dried my hair and collecting my stuff (I was taught not to leave my stuff in any inn/hotel room unless there's someone guarding it, like literally staring at it in case someone moves it), I meet Zidane back at the street and we rode the aircab to Lindblum Grand Castle.

We see Vivi looking into the fountain as soon as we enter the castle. Steiner was also there with him, talking to his "Master" and another of the guards about something related to knighthood and their duty. Vivi was enthralled with their conversation and looked like he was so into it that he's learning a lot just by being there.

He did notice Zidane since he was in front of me. When he saw me his waving turned to running up to me. The leader of the Pluto Knights' mood shifted from averagely glad to sour the moment his eyes caught Zidane beside me. I guess the animosity for 'kidnapping' the princess and his overall roguish shenanigans still rub him the wrong way. Can't say I blame him. He has to be cautious about a lot of people, especially someone who was hired to take the princess even if it was with the best interests. Maybe he still hasn't heard the full explanations from Cid's own oglop-y mouth or from the princess herself.

"Alyssa, where were you? The guards said you weren't around this morning and Dagger was worried..." Vivi would have gone on about what he's done during his panicked morning if I hadn't knelt in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry about that. I'll explain in a bit, but Blake's finally up and walking." I told him.

"And where is that cretin now?" Steiner asked, his conversation with the guard having ended the moment we walked into the scene.

"In the Bobo Bird Inn at the Business District." Okay, just stick to what you've told Zidane and you won't let anything else slip. Focus on retelling what you've already said, Alyssa, and you won't even have to resort to full blown lying.

"A relief then that such a criminal is farther away from the princess." The knight crosses his arms, feeling a bit content about that little tidbit of a fact, but I'm sure he's still weary that Zidane's around.

"Allegedly a criminal," Zidane corrects. I would've actually done that if he didn't beat me to the punch. "He's bound to instantly deny that he's done anything close to a crime. And maybe you want to pipe down about that 'princess' stuff. You might as well announce she's here if you keep that up." That comment didn't leave quite the positive note on Steiner. He was about to enter his Rusty Ranting Mode if Vivi didn't step between them. "Anyway, speaking of which, where's Dagger?"

"She's been with the Regent and the Minister for a while now." The black mage pointed up to where the princess is located. I think this should've happened yesterday, but with all the excitement around our arrival and Blake's injury it might've pushed that talk to today. That's another thing we changed indirectly and didn't plan on doing. Add that to the list of mistakes.

"Since all of her worries had actually walked out of the castle without even considering to talk to her before they left, she has requested to talk with her uncle because she had a limited time of doing so yesterday." Wow, Steiner. If I didn't know who you were talking about I wouldn't have known that was a subtle jab. However, it's good that he's not shouting his head off.

Knowing that she's busy for a while, I might as well make a visit to Dr. Thomas. He hasn't given me any notification about anything regarding paying back the operation he did. Given that I don't have any money and that I plan on taking some work to earn some gil, I might as well know how much would be needed so I can work to that level.

"If that's the case, I'll be going over to Dr. Thomas for a while. Wanna come, Vivi?" The black mage thinks about it for a few seconds, having to think why I need to talk to the doctor, but still agreed to come along. I excused myself from the group and walk over to the elevator. Unsurprisingly, Zidane still joined me, probably so he can see Dagger when I ca finally talk to him. What was surprising was Steiner trailing behind him. His eyes were basically homed in on every action the thief was doing.

"Do not mind me. I am simply keeping a close eye on this scoundrel in case he has any plans on doing anything mischievous." Ever the overprotective knight. Not that I can stop him from doing anything. Let's just hope they don't get into their routine before Dagger comes along.

We eventually arrive at the medical wing at our casual walking pace, with Steiner doing what he said he is going to do by guarding the back of Zidane's head and was only waiting for him to breathe wrong to spring into a rant. The gentleman with the PhD was found sorting his equipment from a disorganized mess in a tray into drawers after being cleaned by a towel in one of his hands. His head turns when I knock on the open door.

"Good morning to everyone!" He greeted with a toothy smile and a wave despite his hand was holding a scalpel. "What can I do for all of you?"

Everyone else who doesn't have a question had stopped by the door and I was about halfway across the room when I realized this. "Ah...well actually I need to ask you a question. Something about Blake's injury."

"Very well. Ask away then. Has he done anything to cause stress on the wound or is he following my advice?" Dr. Thomas nodded and gestured for me to come closer. Another surgical tool was placed into the drawer in front of him after a swift yet efficient cleaning.

"He's actually taking it easy for now. I was meaning to ask you about the cost of the work done on Blake's wrist." The result of the whole Black Waltz No. 3 mess was a very bloody affair with a mish-mash of broken bones. I'm sure the whole procedure would cost a lot of pretty pennies just to get that done. If Blake was here to ask about it he'd probably complain about a sudden pain in his pocket if he were to hear the price.

The castle doctor chuckled at my question as he out away another device. "Oh don't worry about that, my dear. I won't require you to pay for it."

Whoa, did he just basically say that the operation was free? Even if Blake was at his grumpiest that would definitely turn his frown upside down. Then came the question why. "That's great and all, but why?"

"For one, you and your friends looked like the aftermath of a brutal encounter. Now I like myself a good brawl because of the number of possible patients it tends to result in, but your friend's injury was a sight to behold! Very bloody and something unsuspected from a lad like him." I'm starting to believe Blake's initial opinion on the middle-aged scholar being slightly off. "And second and the most important one, the Regent paid for it."

My eyes went wide when he got to his second point. "The Regent? Why?"

"As reckless he was in the cargo ship, he helped save us from a horrible predicament." A different person answered. The doctor and I looked at the source by the doorway and found Dagger walking into the room. The others were as surprised as me to find her there when we were just waiting for her to be done. I guess she's bound to find out we were here after her talk with her uncle. "Uncle Cid felt that this was a way to repay that kindness."

As someone with nothing to her name aside from the clothes on my back and the sword on my hip in this world I don't belong in, I would be stuttering all of my thanks at that kind of kindness. But this was for the guy who basically tried to grapple in the air with a winged mage that had his bravery rewarded with an awful injury. They see me as his friend. I'm only here to explain why he moved out. I'll at least show some gratitude for his sake while I'm here.

"Wow. Thanks, Dagger. I'm sure he appreciates the gesture."

"Don't thank me. It was my uncle's decision. I hope he is recovering well wherever he decided to rest in."

"Yeah about that." I rubbed the back of my head.

I explained to her and Vivi, as well as the rest of the group who wanted to know, that he's in the Business District because he didn't feel comfortable being in the Grand Castle. "Not that everything wasn't good. It was awesome being here! Couldn't imagine this would be the first place I'd go to in my first time here. This is the Grand Castle and it felt really, really grand being here, but he's just a salesman. I'm just his friend and I had to look after him." That last part kinda felt like I was just spewing words, but I hope I got my meaning across. Plus, I tried to make it sound less dismissive, because Blake would come off like that if I didn't add his paranoid thoughts. I added the little tidbits Zidane gave me earlier about being closer to work. Thanks for the accidental assist!

Dagger nodded understandingly after I explained it to her. Vivi accepted it as well as he took it all in whilst I apologized for not telling them about this before we left. I would've if it wasn't so early then. Everyone deserved a good night's rest after what happened to us on the way here. Anyway, that's one more favor I owe to the princess even though she doesn't know it yet. I'll just have to find out a way to pay her back for it.

Then it got me thinking. She's connected to Lindblum via family ties even if it's just friendship through their parents. He cared enough to have her taken here, where he thinks it's safe and away from Queen Brahne and her current weird ways. But the truth of the matter is the city isn't a safe place away from the queen. This is just another target in her ploy to take out most of the other powers here in the Mist Continent. There's definitely a way to change all that now that I'm here.

But the problem is Blake. He doesn't want any more changes to happen to the events. There's a handful of things we already messed up and he believes if we do more it'll make things harder for us to predict what might happen next. He'll definitely know when something's up and it'll surely lead back to me because I'm the only one who knows what he knows.

I don't want to mess things up more, but there's just so many things we can change for the better! The world would be a better place if we just stepped in. But we can't.

"Alyssa?" I looked up to see Dagger waving her hand in front of me. Even Vivi had joined her in the hand waving. Must've stared off into space thinking too hard.

"Sorry. I was just thinking how I can repay you is all." I sheepishly replied.

Steiner and Zidane were already arguing with each other, the former trying to get Zidane to say why he didn't stay in the castle as well with the latter answering that he simply didn't stay to check on his old hideout. That prompted the knight to think that he's up to no good. They're all background noise at this point. That's how the middle aged doctor treated the entire room as he finished the rest of his tools.

Her hand found its way on my shoulder, a caring smile forming across her lips. "You don't need to."

But even when she says that I still feel the need to at least return the kindness.

With what I wanted to do here in the castle now done, I felt that I should get out of everyone's hair for a while. I do have other plans that might take the rest of the day to go through. Now I'm debating whether I should bother Zidane some more or not. Might ask Vivi to come along too so we can hang out some more. We did have that talk yesterday. I feel we should hang out more with and bond without the angst, y'know?

So I thanked Dagger again for the huge assist on the medical fees and excused myself before going to Zidane and Vivi. The yellow-tailed man already went around the entire town to show Vivi the ins and outs. They've bound to have run by a place or two that offers a job. So I ask them if they want to help me find a part-time job. They both said yes and after bidding the princess and her loyal knight goodbye for now, soon we were on the next aircab back to the Business District.

I had to run by the inn and check up on Blake to see if he's still in there or if he went outside. I was met with a yell that he's still fine followed by a tweet from Chuck. Running back out to the street completed my check with him before an entire minute had passed. Here's hoping he continues his good behavior and keeps following what Dr. Thomas told him to do.

For the rest of the day until near dinner time we scoured the city, Business District first since that's a logical place to look for jobs but we expanded our search to the other districts at Vivi's suggestion (he remembered he wanted to look at the library in the Residential District and that sparked his idea). We passed by quite a number of places that needed an extra hand or had an opening for a job. I'd taken notes about their businesses and what role they needed filled, but didn't immediately take it.

I had to know which ones I'd be qualified to do and not do. Kinda like basic job hunting back home. I even made a list of qualifications so I can avoid what happened at the Prima Vista. Not to say that it was a bad place to work in, but I'm not exactly knowledgeable in the field of operating complicated machinery, especially airship machinery.

After hours of going around town and asking if anyone's hiring, we stopped at a family diner in the Residential District. I'm looking over the list as I'm waiting for my order. There was babysitter, librarian, cashier, shop mascot, temporary assistant just to name a few, but there's a lot to choose from. I might've used a lot of paper for my notes and lists though. For the random passerby and customer I probably look like a student too busy reading her papers to mind her other friends.

We were having some casual talk between the three of us, some parts they were trying to suggest what I should do

Soon after our orders came and our conversation went down a more casual road like what we're looking forward to. Vivi wanted to explore the city a bit more, I was just hoping that the jobs I've listed down were still available tomorrow, and Zidane showed interest in the Festival of the Hunt. The youngest of our group wondered what it was and Zidane vaguely described it as a competition with his mouth full of steak. I might've elaborated more on it if I hadn't remembered that Vivi wouldn't be in the Festival if he knew he had to kill monsters by his lonesome. Just avoiding any changes I might cause. So I just shrugged and said that I didn't know much about it.

Zidane perked up his eyebrows when he heard this, but I didn't pay it that much thought as I went back to my salad.

Once we were done with our meals, Zidane and Vivi pooled together their funds and paid for it. That's another addition to the people I owe even if they keep saying it's fine not to repay them in the future. I swear I need to stop this habit because I'm gonna be piling up favors for them up the wazoo if I keep this up. And just when I thought I'd be even with the thief now...

Zidane and I separated with Vivi when the aircab got to the Business District, bidding him goodbye as it drove towards the castle. Turns out he's already been staying there since day 1 of our arrival here. I guess Blake and I were just lucky to have not run into him before we got our rooms. We're greeted by the innkeeper, who was keeping most of the lobby tidy so that it's presentable in the morning.

We bid each other good night before turning to our own rooms. I looked at Blake's door and heard nothing this time. He must be out like a light now since it's late. Even Chuck didn't sound like it's up after listening a bit. He's not gonna appreciate it if I wake him up just to check if he's in there. I'll do that in the morning.

Locking my door when I get in, I change to my old outfit before getting on the bed so I can get comfy for my last read through the list of possible part-time jobs, y'know whittle down my options. Since' I've been at this for a while before dinner so this should take less time. By the time my eyes get heavy I'm sure I'd have one candidate that I'd want to sign up for.

Eventually I finished reading my list and made more notes, scratched out the options I didn't like and was left with only a handful. I folded the papers back and put it away with the rest of my stuff before settling down on the bed for a good night's rest.

The next morning, I end up in front of a familiar shop. I've started telling myself that this could be a bad idea as I look up at the Endless Color sign.

I guess I should've listened to the advice some of my teachers said when it comes to job hunting. 'If it's available, immediately send a resume.' I would if I had a resume on me, but I was so focused on thinking which job would be great for me that I didn't check on the availability of the positions.

So I woke up, I went out after freshening up to get ready to ask if get the job at the places I asked around. I knocked at Blake's door and ask if he wants to come along looking for a part-time job. My attempt was met with loud groaning that was kinda zombie-like that I had to step away in case the door gets kicked open. He's REALLY not a morning person. I left a second later to avoid getting shouted at.

My teachers were right, because the moment I went up to any of the bosses of each place it turns out someone had already applied and was working that day or the spot that needed filling was filled by the person who used to do it because they came back. I'm left standing there each and every time surprised that this even happened. Now I'm thinking I should've asked what the odds were of their old employee coming back or how fast the spot would be filled after I asked. Maybe I should've just went with one instead of being "analytical" about it.

Now I'm standing in front of the Endless Color store to take up Jennifer's offer because she still had a sign saying she's looking for workers. Very vague, but it's still a job.

Sighing, I take a few steps towards the door and then knock. Jenny answers a few seconds later with a curious look on me at first, but something in her eyes told me she realized why I was here and it wasn't for demanding a refund for the outfit. A smile grew on her face as I pointed to the sign on the door. She opens the door invitingly and I follow her inside.

"And that's why I'm in this." I flourish my arm over my outfit: a long, flowing dress that seemed to hug at my figure and looked lavish and shiny with fur at the collar and sleeves, completed by a sleek red finish.

Blake and Vivi stare at me as I completed my explanation. Vivi tilted his head as he tried to think of what to say. "I don't think you would be able to fight off monsters in that,"

The injured one of the two raises a finger to assert a point. "Once again, you certainly look like a girl right now. Surprisingly feminine."

I point at him and march up to his face. "Maybe you'd like to wear this dress and then we'll see who'll look more girly than the two of us." Chuck shared in his uncertainty with a single chirp.

He frowned at what I said and took a step back. "I have no idea where in the world that sounds threatening. Except for being labeled a crossdresser. That I can do without."

"Uh...guys, maybe you shouldn't fight in the street." Vivi was right. I was once again attracting unwanted attention like yesterday. At least I haven't flipped anyone on their back.

Anyways, the reason why Blake and Vivi were out in the Business District was Zidane brought out Blake of the inn for lunch. Looking at how resigned the black-haired "salesman" is, he's not at all interested in actually coming out of his room. He's either gone full protection from the outside world like in that one episode in Spongebob Squarepants or he doesn't want to owe Zidane anything. Vivi just happened to pass him by on the way here and now he's here.

We left for the diner Zidane's waiting at. Blake was told the name of it, but with how disoriented he is because of his exposure to the sun this early he couldn't point us where it is exactly. Vivi was the one who directed us to it since he's gotten the grand tour from the lovable thief. We eventually got there and I had to go back to Endless Color to change back to my outfit for my lunch break.

I take my seat beside Vivi after running back. "Alright. What did I miss?"

"Zidane's still not here." Vivi looked over to our empty fourth seat.

Blake sighed, nuzzling Chuck as it walked around in front of him. "What is he doing anyway? He invited me here and he's not anywhere near this place."

"Maybe he got distracted by a pretty girl on the way here." I comment to which Blake agreed with a nod.

"Right. I hear they are very rare to find around here." Blake looked like he found his own remark funny as he tried to hide it. Vivi and I seemed confused, but that didn't matter since the guy we've been waiting for just arrived, casually strolling in with a cheery greet to the owner tending to the counter.

And then he tried hitting on the waitress that passed him. I think two out of the three of us reacted in an 'Oh c'mon Zidane' that didn't like his lateness and unwanted flirting. Most of the patrons weren't fans of his attempts at courting, especially a certain red-wearing individual by the counter. I called out to him and he immediately stopped, turning to see us seated around a small table with one empty seat meant for him.

His approach slowed when he saw Vivi and me sitting with Blake. "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

"I thought you might enjoy more company." Blake said as he patted the seat near him, a certain twinkle in his eye said excuse to bring us here was for a less friendly reason.

"And here I was trying to get you some fresh air." Zidane shrugged while he sat down.

"I can get fresh air from my room, you know. It's called a window. Open and close. Ever heard of that?"

I interrupt the two before they could get louder and disturb the other people eating around us. "Alright ladies, you're both fine and perky this morning. Can we get something to eat before Blake melts from sun exposure?"

A brief run-through the menu and an order later we were waiting for someone to bring us our food. Zidane said it was cheap here, but it was quick to serve. That gets the place a lot of lively customers any time of the day, which is saying something when almost everyone has a very animated conversation between each other. I wish I could say the same for our table, especially when Blake is slumped against his table with Chuck providing some comforting chirps. Vivi's busy soaking it all in, probably trying to understand how everyone acts to chipper this early in the morning.

"So I hear a particular shop got a particular girl to work for them," Zidane wiggled his eyebrows at me after taking a sip of his water. I sank a bit into my chair at the mention of my part-time job.

"You heard?" I ask, which prompted him to lean on his elbow.

"I saw." I covered my face with a hand and shook my head. I guess that's unavoidable. "Looks like you don't like it. What happened to the other ones you've listed down?"

"I dunno! They suddenly had other people come in or have old employees return!" It was like fate wanted me to take Jenny's offer from the very start. He may have seen me in that dress, but that's only the tip of the iceberg I've found myself crashing into.

Blake's silently snickering in his seat at the mention of my job. I growled at him and kicked him under the table, making jump and hiss in pain. Good thing our food had arrived before he could demand a reason why I'm kicking him.

Zidane chuckled. "Relax, Alyssa. Now you have a reason to have people ogle at you."

"Please stop..." I begged, already tired of the compliments/teasing.

"Zidane?" Vivi spoke up as he received his bowl of baked beans with an additional bagel. Zidane looked at the mage as he prepared to go through his soup du silence. "That guy's been looking at you for a while now." His pointed fork lead over to the red-clad person by the counter. She didn't even look away once all our attention were centered at her.

"You got a problem, buddy?"

The occupant at the counter responded over her shoulder with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Do you mind, BUDDY? You're disturbing the rest of us with your lame flirting."

The former actor left his seat and walked over to the counter. He was standing behind the guy when he spoke again. "Maybe you wanna say that to my face."

And so went the meeting of two old friends after they started calling each other rat-face and monkey-tail and almost threw down until Zidane was hit with a pang of realization and familiarity.

When Zidane was done feigning ignorance about Freya's identity, they calmed down and the tense atmosphere in the building moved on. They exchanged a few words, most of them still audible from where we were sitting, until he remembered he had a bowl with his name on it. He nodded over to our spot before going back to his seat with Freya and her drink trailing behind.

"Guys, meet Freya. She's an old friend from Burmecia." Zidane introduced. The woman standing before us is Freya Crescent, a dragon knight of Burmecia, a skilled spear wielder. It kinda shows that she's a fighter with her still wearing her armor in a casual day like this, a clear sign you shouldn't mess with her any day of the week, unless you want your ass handed to you.

"Hi there, I'm Alyssa." I extended my hand and she promptly shook it. "Isn't Burmecia the city that always rains? I wonder how hard it is to live under a constant barrage of bad weather."

She nodded with a faint smile across her lips. "Yes it is. Once there was a time that the rain didn't flow so freely, told to us by legends long past. But alas, it is our city and we love it nonetheless. We Burmecians don't let lousy weather deter us from living."

"Blake Skylark." Blake looked up from his plate for a second when Zidane pointed to him before putting his attention back down to help feed Chuck part of his...omelet? Isn't that cannibalism? "And this is Cloud."

"Cloud? Not Chuck anymore?" I found the name change a bit surprising.

"Black feathered chocobos have the ability to fly, soaring above the lands and gliding through the clouds." Freya imparted us with her knowledge about the giant birds. "An appropriate name."

Blake frowned at what he thought was an interruption. "Yeah, it can fly. Thanks for stealing my thunder." Now Freya stared back at him, a bit displeased at his tone. "Oh, you know what nevermind Cloud. Lightning is its new name. It will fly as fast as lightning and thunder will sound as it speeds through the sky, thus all land walkers and airship will know it has arrived! Though we have to work on your flying soon."

"Anyway, this one is Vivi. He's a powerful black magician." Zidane directed her attention to the boy sitting beside me. Vivi waved at the dragon knight and his greeting was reciprocated with a nod.

"I'm not that strong. I only helped out whenever the monsters attacked." Aw...you're so humble, Vivi. Please never change.

"Nonsense! You're incredible with your magic." The thief proclaimed.

"No doubt there will be a time where you'll be mowing down monsters with just a wave of your hand." Blake added in an attempt to bolster his confidence.

With all the introductions done, Freya felt comfortable enough to take a seat with us, borrowing one of the vacant seats from the table next to us. While she was waiting for a refill on her drink, Zidane brought up a question to the Burmecian about her reason why she's in town.

"The Festival of the Hunt. What else? It's a good opportunity to test my skills." Freya answered instantly.

Zidane should've said something about Sir Fratley here, but kept quiet. Probably because of the company present not knowing her personal troubles. Blake and I just shared a look when he didn't say it.

"Aren't you participating?" She continued curiously after a brief silence.

His answer was a short shake of the head. Then he directed his sights on me. "How about you guys? Any plans on being in the hunt?"

"What's the Festival of the Hunt?" Vivi asked. I realized that he didn't actually learns what the hunt is until at the very last moment, aside from second-hand info that it has animals. Blake probably had the same thought too when he stopped moving his fork and froze up a bit.

-Blake-

Shit!

I was too busy trying to make Zidane literally pay for waking me up and bringing me out here by having Vivi and Alyssa here to increase how much he'll pay for lunch that I didn't consider what consequences and changes I have brought down upon myself. The little black mage wasn't supposed to be here and hear about the Festival now.

Who knows what will happen if he doesn't enter the Festival now. He was only interested because of having the chance to be around cute and harmless animals, only for it to be dashed when he learns about the truth before it begins. But if I remember correctly Zidane enters him anyway even if he doesn't know that it's a participatory event. That blond monkey still believes that Vivi's strong enough on his own despite his own admission and lack of confidence and might enter his name as a combatant. Perhaps it might still happen...

No! I can't take that chance. I have to correct this mistake.

"It's an event about animals!" I blurted out. It was the right thing to say, but it happened to be a bit too loud for the tables around us, attracting curious stares from the other patrons. Even the others sitting with me gave me weird looks. With a gulp, I tried to recover by desperately saying more nonsense. "Yeah, lots of animals in town. A full day dedicated to them. Different kinds of animals, from big ones to small ones. Kind of like a zoo."

"Wow!" The young one beamed with awe. Well that somewhat fixes that, but Zidane and Freya still gave me curious looks. "I haven't been to a zoo before!"

"Well this Festival is your chance to see one." I smiled at his reaction. My eyes turn over to the blond and his Burmecian friend and I can basically see the questions running in their minds. "Hey Vivi, can you approach one of the waitresses over there? I think everyone here needs a refill and little Lightning here seems to be parched." The small chocobo gave a cheerful tweet as thanks as Vivi nodded and moved towards the counter.

"What was that about?" Zidane let the question in his and Freya's minds finally have a voice. Even though Alyssa looked surprised, she knows the reason why I did it.

"I think Vivi would appreciate not knowing about the Festival. He's already had it rough on the way here with all the monsters we've fought. All of us have. It would be better if he doesn't partake in more fighting." I explained as I straightened my back.

"You do know he can choose not to fight, right?" Alyssa mentioned that choice. Woman you are killing me here. At least help me out.

"Choosing not to fight? Sounds like something you wouldn't consider before." I argued. Before she could say another word, I presented another point I had. "Well I'm not technically wrong. The monsters ARE animals in some forms, right? And the event will take up majority of the day. The monsters involved can be small like a Mu to massive like a Zaghnol. People will watch the event on the sidelines like how they would do in an actual zoo." She might have realized what I was saying and finally let it pass by staying silent.

"I don't see why there's a need to deceive him." Freya pointed out, aiming this unsatisfied look at me.

"Did you see how happy he was?" I countered, ignoring her stare. "His yellow eyes were as big and bright as the stars when I told him that."

"He wouldn't have that look if you just said what it actually is." Zidane added to Freya's argument. Aren't you supposed to be on my side? "Hey, I'm just saying that lying isn't necessary."

"Perhaps we should just let Vivi imagine something to be happy and magical and ordinary for once and not violent with horrible undertones for once." This is making me sound like an overprotective parent. I see that Lightning's hatching is affecting me to act like one.

"Let's see what he'll think with a hypothetical question." Yeah, have fun with that. She leaned back on her chair with her arms crossed in front of her. I noticed Vivi on his way back with one of the waitresses carrying a pitcher of water with her. "Vivi, what's your opinion on monster hunting? Would you enjoy it?"

The water I was drinking had difficulty coming down with the surprised breath I drew, almost causing me to choke upon hearing the question.

"Monster hunting? Like killing monsters?" Freya nodded at the question. "I don't think I'd enjoy it that much, but you guys look like you fit for it than me."

At least that helps out my cause. Thanks for seeing it my way, Vivi, even though you probably don't know how much you helped me there. I grinned as I went back to my omelet, petting Lightning victoriously unbeknownst to the black mage who had the last word about the topic.

Zidane noticed the tension and tried to carry it back to casual conversation by asking if Alyssa even knew about what the Festival is.

"Yeah...technically." She hurriedly answered. The addition of that word made me glare at her. I tried to help her by following up by telling them she liked reading about the Festival back in her home in Treno during her younger years as well from the letters I wrote to her and have not actually experienced it in person. That should be consistent with the backstory we created. She offered a thankful glance as I went back to my plate.

Then the ever so curious thief asked if she wanted to be in the Festival. I can hear her voicing her disinterest in it, saying that she'd only get in the way of everyone else. By that point I was already tuning out the conversation. Majority of the group already knew my stance on the whole event and if they didn't then one single display of my new splint would make them understand.

Lunch soon finished and we started to walk out. A flash of distaste could be seen from the dragon knight's features as I walked past her. Whatever she thinks doesn't really matter. I did that to preserve the events of the game. If Zidane still thinks Vivi would be fit for the Festival of the Hunt then that's his choice. I chose to have Vivi believe what the game originally wanted him to believe. If that's still the case then I made the right move.

Alyssa excused herself, telling us that she didn't want to exceed her lunch break in the first day of her job. A likely story. She probably didn't want to be seen talking to me after what happened in there. If looks could kill, Freya would have already thrown her spear at me as I sat in front of her after talking like that. I guess this is my punishment for trying to keep things the same as they should be.

Anyway, the reason why I hold up Alyssa for a few more seconds was to ask her if she knew where I could look for any gil-earning opportunities. I'm currently running short on gil. She might earn a lot in the next few days with her current gig while we wait for the Festival to commence, and I do not want to owe her anything when it comes to finances. She might have an idea or two on where to find a job with a good pay.

She hurriedly pulled out some folded pieces of paper from her pocket, all the while giving me worried glances, and told me to check the crossed out ones. I'm left there without an explanation why I'd consider the ones she had not. I sigh and scan through her handwriting and see some viable part-time occupations that might consider hiring me briefly despite my current state. Who would not want to use an extra hand (literally only one hand)?

Unfortunately, most of the ones she crossed out weren't interested in hiring a one-handed man. Majority of them were polite about it, sprinkling some genuine apologies as they turned me away, while others didn't pull their punches. To be honest, being rejected like that stings. I've never applied for anything laborious, part or full-time, but is this what someone usually feels when they're not picked for the job? And this is just from the ones in the Business District. I still have to go through the Theatre and Residential District (apparently there are more districts here than I thought). I don't think I can handle more rejection...

I had to run out of a painter's house in my first attempt at asking for a job. He wanted to literally rip out poor little Lightning's feathers in order to "grasp the purity of a newborn" and paint it on his canvas for his next masterpiece. Good luck on finding your own newborn, pal. Scratch that one off the list. Another one tried to convince me to pose nude for her class of newbie painters. As flattering as that is, I don't think I'm ready to be painted like that. One more option passed over. Let's see what else is here...

Then I notice this guy walking over to me from one of the benches.

He looked normal enough with his short, gray hair and frilly outfit filled with ruffles at the sleeves and collar. A closed leather-bound book occupied one hand as the other waved at me to stop walking. "Excuse me, you look like you're out of a job."

I furrowed my eyebrows when I heard what he observed. "That sounds very judgmental, but let's say you're right. What do you want?" I keep a hefty distance between the two of us in case he does anything shifty. He did look nervous when he spoke.

"I was looking for anyone to help out in the theater. I'm lacking in staff and I need all the extra hands I can get!"

"Well then, I hope one extra hand is okay for you instead of two." I looked down to my arm sling and splint, which made him tilt his head momentarily before figuring out what I meant.

"Ah, a comedian!" He laughed, his nerves appearing to have lessened. Yeah, I'll be here all week. Tip your waitresses or whatever. "In any case, you'll do just fine. Please, follow me." he then turned around and started making his way up the staircase that lead to the theatre.

I followed his lead while asking him a few questions, the major one being how much the pay is, how much work I'll need to do daily, and what percentage of said work is physical. He didn't answer directly, only providing some keywords like 'decent', 'enough', and 'not much'. I initially didn't like how he answered, but this is an opportunity that came to me. I'd be a fool if I didn't take a look first before walking away.

The entrance to the theatre is packed with rabid fans of a certain actor possibly hiding inside while bragging about his numerous fans' daily incursions just to meet him. We sifted through the pack of fangirls, I carefully braced Lightning and my injured arm against my chest in case they jostle me from their fanatic cheering, and finally get through to the main theatre.

I was honestly expecting a massive mess to greet my eyes when we walk into the main stage area, thankfully all I see are hardworking people focused on working what looked like one of the sets they might use in a show. There is a small group of men and women at the side gathered in a circle, all of them reading from a page aloud. I could sense the ham just wanting to be released as we got near them.

We stopped a few rows up from the group with the man putting a hand up between us. "I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself. My name is Heath. I manage the finances and the pay for everyone in the production group." I shake his hand and was about to introduce myself, only to be cut off as he continued. "Everyone is working hard right now. You can say that we're on crunch time. We're trying to take advantage of the added crowd the Festival is bringing in so we have this special show we're planning on doing, so you can see why everyone is focused on their respective roles. This is where we need the extra hands, or in your case, hand."

He continued to explain that majority of the staff is busy perfecting the sets, trying to get their performance practice, and getting the right outfits. The director was busying helping out the actors and actresses with their scenes while the stage is being worked on. No one can be in two places at once, and that is where his problem was and it is where I come in apparently. Heath will be assigning me to run between the different crew members for various things, like get their outputs on scenery designs from the director and relay their feedback for example. What else needs communicating has to run by me so I can run it through the right people.

It sounds particularly taxing, all that moving and running around, passing what people tell me to another group. It's much better than actually working on the sets though and I only need to work my legs and keep listening. Completely doable even to my standards, especially with my broken arm and all.

Anyway, we walk over to the director just as they are taking a break. "I see Heath managed to convince someone to help after all. Reagan Creed Haverhill, director." I shake his hand politely as I attempted to introduce myself, only to be interrupted when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Sir, there seems to be a problem with the script of the third act." This girl showed him multiple pages and explained further. "Multiple misprints and typos. It's like someone didn't bother double-checking before printing these up."

"Damn it, that's gonna cut into our practice time for later. Alright, try to get the scripts corrected and we'll practice these scenes tomorrow instead. I'll deal to that guy in a bit." The girl nodded and hurried off to correct the mistakes. "All right, sorry about that. Welcome to the crew...uh, I think I didn't catch your name."

"My name's—" A crash from the stage broke my train of thought as well as everyone in the vicinity. A lot of the staff around them voiced their shock and concern at the fallen set piece. Lightning started chirping a storm in surprise, but a few pats from me managed to calm it down.

The director pointed at the crew members and shouted. "Hey! Careful with that! We don't have time to redo most of the sets, y'know!? Everything has to be perfect and we only have a few days until the premiere!" Multiple voices aired their apologies before they started to replace the piece back where it fell off. Director Haverhill turned back to me and sighed.

"Sorry again. Anyway, first thing you can do for me. Try to find a kid named Carlton backstage. He's probably one of the guys painting the sets since he supposedly finished printing the script. Tell him to get the original prints of the script and follow Katelin to the press to fix his mistake." He instructed and asked me to repeat it just in case I wasn't listening.

After bullet-pointing what he wanted me to do, Heath follows my pace as I walk towards the backstage rea. "Oh, don't forget this pin. This should help the staff know what your role is around here." He pulled out this pin half the size of my palm and handed it over. It had a colorful design with this flowery letter at the center. Seeing that I'm in a bit of a disadvantage with my hands, he pins it to my collar. "There you go. Now go on and do your best!"

A pat on the back later, he scurries off to whatever he does while everyone else is practicing and doing the heavy lifting. Just when I took three steps I just realized that no one has even told me how much I am getting paid for this. Probably with everyone not letting me speak it might fall on deaf ears. With an annoyed grunt, I continue on to the backstage area, Lightning now finally settled and calm in my sling.

Finding this Carlton kid was easy when I asked around. He excused himself and put down the brush safely before briskly joining me. I relay to him what Haverhill wanted him to do and he practically wanted to vanish right then and there when he learned of his massive mistakes. He apologized profusely before I had to remind him that the Katelin girl was waiting for him. One second later he was rushing out of the theater at record speeds.

"Hey new guy!" One of Carlton's fellow set painters called. "Come over here for a sec."

"I do have a name, you know. It's—"

The guy waved me off to stop speaking. "Whatever." Is everyone in this theater rude? "We were thinking about what color scheme this other set should use. We kinda forgot what he said the first time we went through this. Can you ask him what it should be?"

Not that I can refuse asking because it is my job. I nod and head back to the front.

And that's basically how my day went. Going back and forth from one place to another, from being asked to clarify one thing to informing a certain person about deadlines. If I had a clipboard I would complete the look of an assistant and be able to write down what I need to be asking, saying, and reminding, but my writing hand is too messed up to move. Alas, all I can do is try to remember what is being said to me and say it back the same way.

That resulted in a very tiring first day. I arrived back at the inn in the middle of the afternoon and basically collapsed on the bed. Those theater bunch were the right amount of demanding that didn't get me internally complaining and hardworking that it is actually admirable just observing them, yet I felt it wasn't just for me because of how exhausting it is being both at the same. At least the pay is good. A small envelope weighty pouch of gil was handed by the group's financier, and for the first time in my life, I was proud of the work I did.

However, I no longer had any energy to go outside for the rest of the day aside from taking a long, relaxing shower. Lightning went through one Gyashl Pickle during that time and it was enough to make it groggy. It rested on one of the pillows on the bed when I came back. I swiftly changed to a single shirt and my old pants and closed the curtains, not wanting to be reminded there were some seven more hours left in the day and that the darkness the room had helped whisk me away to dream land in a matter of minutes.


	21. In Days On and Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the Festival of the Hunt

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 20: In Days On and Off

-Blake-

Work just seemed to make time flow as a steady river that ends daily in an exciting drop worth about 350 gil, I counted the pouch Heath would refill each day to make sure the amount is the same, a very useful amount to someone with nothing to his name, until it would circle back up to the start where I'd all over again. The entrance to the theater would always be filled with the same fangirls that seemed to have no life aside from singing the praises of Lowell Bridges. As tiring as it is hearing their shrill cries, it must be as annoying for the apple of their respective eyes. However, that only motivated everyone else to be better for the next show with their improved handmade scenery and decorations.

With me getting used to my duties in the theater and those two days passing through, it seemed like I got to be less tired compared to the day before. My third day on the job concluded with me managing to get a decent meal after a shower. I crossed paths with Zidane on the way and he was surprised to see me be moving about. I had to use my 'other job' as an excuse, that I had been neglecting my clientele for a while that I had to act fast. He did point out that I was going to the Theatre District a lot the past few days. When did he see me there when I barely saw anyone from our group over there?

Whatever. I lied by telling him that my big-time client was really indecisive and I had to come over a lot so we could get business going. He gave a thoughtful hum before letting it go. Zidane's getting really antsy with all his questions. It's like he gets more curious with each passing day. I really should be careful. He's not as dumb as he looks.

Anyways, back to my theater duties. It seemingly increased the moment they became comfortable with having me around, which turned out to be the time I walked through that entrance a third time. They were waving me down, chatting a bit with me and I'd nod and smile until they let me know what I need to relay to the director or the props or the actors. I was actually given additional things to do, well more like asked as a favor, some a bit would be considered out of my job description. If it increased any chance I had at having more gil by the end of the day I did it.

One such example is providing a solution of escape. Remember those fangirls at the front of the theater? It is such a bother for a particular actor they idolize that he can't leave for the day without being swarmed. So when they heard my mutterings of an outlandish suggestion, which was feigning that Lowell had a medical condition and had to be rushed to a hospital, complete with two other people carrying him off on an improvised stretcher, they actually went with it and it was successful. Lowell's obnoxiously passionate advocates weren't at the theater most of the day too! I have other ideas ready for use in the future, like having an egg cart outside and have Lowell hide in an egg disguise as we can roll him to safety. Sounds like a lot of effort, but these girls require it in order to lose them.

Things have been going smoothly so far, everyone's all business today and all. The third act practice went so well they tried to get a dry run through the entire thing while the stage crew was on break. Costumes were basically gathered and completed, the ones in charge were making sure they label it correctly for each of the actors and actresses. Right now I was remembering to give the notes Lowell and a handful of others had for their costumes regarding their initial fitting earlier this morning. Once I was done, Katelin wrote them all down in bullet points and finally nodded.

"Alright Mr. Skylark, I'll run these through the costume department and make sure everything's all accounted for." Oh man, I sure like the sound of that. _MISTER SKYLARK_. I'm glad this pin offers a bit of rank around here. And yes, I finally managed to get my name mentioned between today and two days ago. "And can you remind Director Haverhill that he's yet to get measured for his tux. The guys from the tailor are gonna be coming by later."

"I'll be sure to run it by him." I nodded, Lightning chirped from my sling to add to my confirmation before walking off to find the director.

Since I have been exposed to the routines of the crew members, finding Haverhill would be easy if you try to listen for a booming voice hamming it up with only a few breaks between sentences. From what I am currently hearing, aside from someone from the set designers giving out instructions to carefully adjust the set pieces and a few laughs from the stage crew that are on break, Haverhill's voice is echoing backstage along with some of the actors working a scene.

I was about to go around a corner when I hear two voices talking about to do the same. I was readying a greeting in case they take a second to do the same when I stop on the spot upon seeing who it was.

A certain traveling elderly woman with her brown cloak folded up in her arms. Without it most of her mystique is gone and her age becomes a more prominent feature.

She and the guy talking to her see me and stop their conversation. He's part of the props group so he's a familiar guy around here. He nods over to me and smiles. "There you are, Blake. This lady's looking for you."

"Thank you, young man." Meguro bows a bit, making the props guy stutter a bit.

"It's no big deal, ma'am!" He laughed, trying to hide his surprise. "Blake is usually easy to find since he's just walking around. Sometimes it's easier to find him when you listen for his chocobo or someone muttering around the corner."

"Hey! Don't make me sound crazy!" I retorted, putting down my foot to stop him from saying anything else. "Alright, job well done. Now how about you check on those props and make sure they're in perfect condition. Go on!"

My demands weren't taken seriously as usual as he just nodded amusingly and walked off. Then I set my eyes on Meguro, who looked like she enjoyed seeing me in a different environment if that smile on her face had any meaning.

"Good to see you trying to fit in. I actually thought you would be cooped up in that little inn until your recovery." She takes a step forward and places a hand on my arm. Her hand was warm to the touch. "But it's good to see you are doing well." I backed up a few steps away from her in case she tries anything funny.

"This is temporary. I need the money since my funds were dwindling. But that's irrelevant right now!" I raised my voice while simultaneously keeping it down to avoid attracting attention, which made it come out as me shouting in a small voice. "I've been looking for you for some time now and you certainly appear out of nowhere on your own volition. I am tired of your Batman bullshit. You still owe me two questions!"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the concept of Batman was probably lost on her, but she nodded anyways.

She gestures for me to go ahead with my questions. As I am trying to get my questionnaire from my belongings, I can't help but realize that she does not deny that she appears out of nowhere. That is troubling. It's like she knows it and does not bother explaining it. I guess I should add that to the list of questions I should ask, file it under 'Mysteries about Meguro' category right beside the 'Important Questions' category. Speaking of which...

"I see you have put some thought into the answers you want from me." She sees the paper in my hand and smiles. Nothing particularly off about that smile, but I can't help but think otherwise.

Ignoring her comment, I go straight to the point. "You mentioned back in Dali that I shouldn't tell anyone about for some reason. Care to explain that to me?"

The cloak wearing traveler seemed somewhat disappointed at the question, but it was a question she had to answer since she is bound to her word. "Attention."

I tilt my head when I hear that single word being uttered. "Sorry, what?"

"As someone who inadvertently finds it easy to attract attention, I would have thought you already knew the importance of having less eyes analyzing every move you make."

"I don't get it." This isn't the first time I don't understand what's happening or being said. That stupid ticket is still in my pocket and I'm sure it's still changing back and forth between being an actual ticket to having a mysterious message and I don't have any clue why it does that when I show it to other people.

She takes a breath and adjusts the cloak in her hands. "The reason why I suggested, not outright expressed a desire to keep our meetings a secret, is because this will surely attract unwanted attention."

I am trying to wrap my head around this and the fact that me talking with this weird lady is somehow attracting attention. Is she saying someone is keeping tabs on her as well? "Hold on, that doesn't make sense."

"Remember your reasoning as to why you wanted to get away from the castle?" I only did that because I didn't believe I will be able to discuss otherworld stuff with Alyssa with people patrolling the hallways and having so much people around didn't make me comfortable to even mention private things. "Countless people walk and pass by you, glancing at your direction with every step you make in case you bring certain harm to their leader. It is similar to that, except they don't do it out of protection. The moment your friends know about our private meetings, a certain pair of eyes will divert their focus on you."

That sounded VERY ominous. "Just curious. Maybe you can expound on this 'certain pair of eyes' and what happens when they focus on someone. I really hope they don't kill or do something worse."

Her eyes darkened as she took a step closer. "You are vulnerable to many things, Blake. Death would be a relief than a threat if they are to focus on you."

Okay, TERRIFYINGLY ominous then. Lightning seemed to notice my terror as it nuzzled against the sling and my injured arm, a gentle tweet snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Follow my advice if you desire to live a normal life." Being in a different world is anything but normal, yet I couldn't help but nod in agreement. 'Death as a relief' is something I'd never want to think about.

There was something with how she said that I couldn't help but think that her choice of words were specific and weird at the same time. I'm thinking of a way how to interpret what she said when someone came along our little corner of the theater to interrupt our private Q&A. Heath and his trusty book stops by us and taps me on the shoulder. "Blake, Haverhill is looking for you. He says he wants to participate in today's escape plan for Lowell." That man is really just want to have fun at the most inappropriate time. Though I guess he's earned some time to slack off with all the work that's been done today.

"Fine, I'll run him through the plan. Can you tell him to meet me by the stage? I still need to remind him of his tux fitting." I told Heath.

"Sure thing. You finish up talking to your...grandmother?" Heath tried to guess, earning him a sigh from me and a laugh from the mysterious woman to my side as he left us alone. Once I'm sure we are a lone and that no one might not be listening in, I turn to her to ask my final question. I fully expected her to have vanished by then, and as it turns out she stayed there, finally understanding that she has to keep her word.

However, as I tried to analyze which question would be fitting for this third and final question, she places her hand on the paper and lowers it.

"I would suggest you ponder more on this final question I will be answering you. What is, in your mind, worth knowing the answer to?" What!? Are you seriously just doing this to make fun of me? What if I'm ready to ask that question now? "If that is how you feel then I would not hesitate in giving you what you desire."

Wait. Hold on, Blake. She's right in a way. Let's think about this for a second. Most of her answers have been borderline vague so far. What's stopping her in continuing that streak? I'll need some actual helpful answers if I actually want to learn more about her. With that I will need to think of how to broach the next question carefully. Approach it so no loophole can be used so that it will have to be answered directly and satisfactorily.

I finally agree to her suggestion with a cautious nod. "So how will I know where to find you?"

"Perhaps I will find you with my 'Batman bullshit'." Meguro answered, complete with air quotes, as she walks away. That's what I get when I call her out on her own shenanigans. At least now she gave me a heads up when she's about to leave.

-Alyssa-

Some of my friends think that the best way to spend the two days in the week you don't have to go to school is just stay in bed and laze around at home. The problem with doing that, as much as helpful the rest is, that the inconsistent schedule would mess with you. It's better to be moving around at a decreased rate compared to the weekdays.

Not a lot of my friends share the same opinion. Though they might have better productivity if they did, but that's beside the point.

Anyway, my suggestion to spend the first weekend and my first day off as a part-time employee is get to get used to Lindblum's streets and districts. My little tour wasn't enough since I only passed by each district for jobs a few days ago. Sure I'm only going to be here for a few more days until the Festival comes and probably a couple more when the Alexandrian air fleet comes by, but it sure would still help knowing my way around town.

I managed to get some decent sleep and went around the Business District for a good hour. Business is really good at the weekends, especially this early in the day. Most of the people around here probably prefer to buy early to get around the long lines and waiting times. When I was done with my breakfast, I explored the district and made sure to look for landmarks that I'll recognize. Don't want to end up getting lost like before.

Once I've felt like I got to see most of the district, I thought it would be good to include the other like Blake or Vivi, hopefully both, in my little adventure through town. It might do them good to take in more of Lindblum's culture, broaden their horizons and stuff like that.

I came back to the inn at 11 o'clock and tried knocking on Blake's door. There was no answer. I tried calling out through the door and still no response. I know things have been tense between us, our discussion gone badly about changing story events and even the lunch with Zidane, Vivi, and Freya went awry. He hasn't been around since three days ago. Is he avoiding us?

One more attempt and getting him to answer his door still resulted in silence. Even Lightning wasn't tweeting a bit. They're probably asleep. Lightning's slowly becoming like Blake if he keeps sleeping like that.

Fine then, maybe Vivi would appreciate what I'm doing with my time. Oh, if Zidane's up for it he can come too. Not sure if Dagger's willing to come out of the castle. I think she doesn't even leave Lindblum Grand Castle until the Festival is over. Well, I'm passing by the castle nonetheless to ask Vivi. It wouldn't hurt in asking her just in case.

The aircab to Lindblum Grand Castle arrived a few minutes after I started waiting at the station. It had a few stops on the way there, a good number of passengers hopping on and off the aircab at each stop. One of the new people getting in is one of the guys I am looking for. He found me waving at him to join me in my seat, which only took him a few seconds right before the cab left for another stop.

"Even on the weekends you're on the move? Rest days are used for, you know, resting." Zidane leaned back on the chair beside me, enjoying the aircab ride to the castle.

I smiled, appreciating his ribbing. "I've had a lot of rest already. Besides, what do you want me to do, stay in the inn all day? I'll probably go stir-crazy."

"Unlike someone we both know." It's not that hard to figure out who he's talking about. I could see him looking at me questioningly. "Have you talked to him recently?"

I shake my head. Strangely enough, since I gave him my part-time opportunities list I haven't really seen much of him. Not anywhere in the Business District, not anywhere Jenny wants me to go with her hunting outfits, or not in the inn as well. Though I could hear Lightning chirping in the other room in most nights, that's pretty much it. Was he avoiding us?

"Don't think about it too much. He's probably working too hard that he's forgotten about us." Zidane thought out loud casually.

"Yeah. Maybe." Honestly, he does things with a reason behind them. The last time we saw him was in that awkward lunch with Freya. Him bringing Vivi there was on him and he's probably kicking himself for doing that. As much as I want him to learn that he can't have everything follow how things should go, trying to follow how he wants it, going through that in an attempt to fix it was probably more damaging.

When the aircab stopped at our destination, Zidane told me in passing why he actually wanted to be here. He wanted to see Dagger for a while now to see how she is, but Steiner's been guarding her even harder than ever apparently. Like the man would shove him before he could even get a scent of where the princess is and turn him away. He's hoping that he can get a lucky break today. I'm all for trying to bond with the girl, and at least he's not being outright rejected, but the man sure has resilience.

Vivi wasn't that hard to find in the castle. We were directed to him by one of the guards and found him soaking in the view of the city from one of the bridges to the airship docks, holding on to his precious hat in case a breeze happened to blow by. He liked the idea of taking in the city's culture since Zidane just gave him a passing tour of most of the city.

Just as when we're about to go to the elevator to look for Dagger, we see Steiner frantically searching up and down the halls. He's quiet like he's trying to avoid suspicion, but was seriously struggling to avoid shouting. I had three guesses as to what's gotten him like this and one of the included a certain Alexandrian royalty. Zidane didn't have any time trying to think why he's acting this way when the knight started rushing at us. Zidane went to find a place to hide in case he gets an earful from the overprotective captain.

"Master Vivi! Did you happen to see the princess on your way here?" Steiner asked, falling to his knees so he can be eye level with the small mage. When he shook his head, Steiner almost as horrified as someone would once they realize they left their child in a car without any open windows.

"But we're about to go out to town!" Vivi excitedly announced. Then Steiner gave me a look, then turned back to Vivi, and finally one more to me. His eyes then went wide.

"Of course! She might have taken an aircab into the city. She has been in the castle for so long that she may have desired some time outside, looking for a breath of fresh air, so to speak." He muttered in realization.

Well, that's one way of looking at things. But if I remember correctly, Dagger might still be in the castle and simply out of reach if you're not a crafty thief.

He inched his way to me and took my hand. "Please let me come with you. We might be able to find the princess with more than one person looking out for her."

This was surprising because an older man with a rank in his country's military basically asked me if he can come along! He doesn't need to because he can just pull rank on me. Then my eyes turn to where Zidane's at. He's already seen what's happened and was giving me this pleading look. Puppy-dog eyes aren't that effective at that range! I want to help him out, but I don't think Steiner's gonna like it if he finds out I tricked him.

Looking at both men, I sigh give in to the older man's request. "It wouldn't hurt to try. But you know it's possible that she's still around here, right?"

"Eliminating the option with the most possibilities is a quicker way of getting results, Miss Forsyth." Steiner stated as he got off his knees. "Let us make our rounds over at the Residential District!" And with that, he leads Vivi into running to the aircab station.

"Good luck, lover boy." I silently utter to myself as I see Zidane giving me a thumbs-up before he made his way through the castle halls, the roguish thief off to find his princess.

I hope he thanks me properly for leading on an armed knight in a false search and rescue operation. Forgive me, Steiner.

Anyway, we reach the Residential District of Lindblum. I kinda understand that the original game didn't have to show the player where the citizens of Lindblum live when they only need to show the important parts that have uses for the player (the shops in the Business District) and establishing the city's character (the Industrial District showing the technological prowess of the city while showing a brief glimpse into a different industry in the Theatre District's entertainment focus). Since a different dimension doesn't have that kind of limitations, it's nice to see a different part of Lindblum I haven't seen in the game.

In my first time here, I was surprised to see how big the Residential District is. Sure majority of the place is dedicated to the average citizen's housing, but there's also a few places a family or a group of friends can go see and have fun in like the library, a museum, and a park to name a few. There sure are a lot of people around here, almost matching the streets of the Business District. That made Steiner's search a bit difficult.

I suggested we first go the museum, to which Steiner linked to his search due to Dagger's prowess in her studies to pursue informational learning through a different source. I just nodded because I couldn't think of a better reason why we should go to the museum aside from simply wanting to see it. There sure was a lot of history stored in that one building that it could match one of the national museums back in Earth. There were exhibits on the evolution of the airship, another on monsters used in the Festival, and one on the history of the Regents.

As I finished reading an entry on Cid Fabool VIII, I felt my throat dry up and my chest tighten suddenly. Just when I've gotten used to this kinda normal life, normal in the sense of getting used to the things around me that I've forgotten about the not-so normal stuff like having surprise breathing problems. It got me so bad that I almost fell into one of the Cid exhibits, but I realized I might damage it so I turned away from it as much as my body can. The second I got away from the exhibit my chest wasn't so restricted anymore, but I did bump into this other person.

I tried apologizing, but my lack of breath didn't help me properly make a sentence. He held me in place as I tried getting back my breath and understood the whole thing more than me as he shook his head, his long white hair following his motions quite smoothly, and only offered a chuckle as he apologized for wandering too closely to the exhibits. My eyes couldn't help but focus on his strange coat as he bent down to a bow, but I snapped out of it and did the same in case that was a culture thing.

With our apologies out of the way, he nodded and went on his way as I tried to think why I had another of those episodes. I'm a healthy and active girl before I got here in Gaia and I'm very sure of that. Something has to be causing this problem. My thoughts didn't last when I see Steiner talking very loudly with one of the museum staff.

After learning quite a bit in the museum and Steiner not finding any traces of Dagger in there (of course he won't), we moved over to the city's public library. The place could've ended up as a private mansion if it didn't have so much books. Speaking of which, there were three floors worth of books in there! Absolutely massive. I've never been to a library as big as this. I'm pretty sure if we didn't have the internet, all the libraries in Earth would have to be this big.

According to one of the people working there, the public library had a book in every single topic known to everyone in Gaia and that if you wanted to read every single one it would take 300 years. Thank goodness I'm not that interested in doing that. Just a little good would be fine by me.

While Steiner is busy patrolling every inch of the library, thinking that Dagger would be hiding away in some secret space to take in the knowledge she has yet to see in some of the books present, and Vivi found a recipe book that used an illustrated Qu in the cover, I was trying find an interesting category to dip my toes in, somewhere close to world history or self-defense books, when I heard a chirp beneath someone delivering a lecture. Something told me those two things were connected with people starting to leave this part of the library along with some "Shhhh!" in their wake.

Going around the corner to find where this commotion is coming from, I see someone in this tweed hat that didn't look like it fit with his lab coat. Right as he paced in front of the reading table in front of him I see a glimpse of a black feathered chocobo chick following his movement. Sitting there witnessing the whole thing happening in front of him with a resigned look all over his face was Blake trying to read a few books in front of him.

I'm surprised to see him out here, even more that he's in a library. I walk over to them as Dr. Thomas continued, not even noticing the number of people leaving their seats because of his noisy lecture and me creeping up behind them. My taps on their shoulders got two different reactions, one pounded their forehead into the table and the other just adjusted the glasses on the bridge of their nose.

"Leave me alone..." Blake groaned into the table and was quickly followed by a chorus of "SHHHH!". Lightning tried to comfort him by nuzzling against his hair.

"Ah, Miss Forsyth! Nice to see someone else take delight in learning through the means of pages in paperback and hard cover." Dr. Thomas announced and was on the receiving end of a chorus of frustrated library-goers demanding silence. Blake stiffened when he heard my name and it looked like he wanted his face to burrow into the table deeper. "I was just regaling young Skylark here about the anatomy of chocobos, but it looks like I have gotten out of hand."

"That's one way to say it." Blake's mouth has not yet left the table.

"Long story short, you have been travelling with a male baby chocobo." The doctor summarized, much to the relief of Blake.

"Great. Makes choosing a name easier." My injured friend sighed as he pulled himself off the table and was now leaning back on his chair with a single book in hand. It had the word 'baby names' in big, bold letters.

"So what other names do you have in mind for Lightning?" I asked, getting the little bird to stop kwehing up a storm. Petting it sure did help calm it down. Is it just me or it's getting bigger and slightly heavier? I noticed Blake giving me a careful glance before flipping through some pages.

"There's a lot of interesting ones. Actually I'd renamed him to Tuft just this morning. Now his name will officially be Nero." He finally found the page he was looking for, his finger directing my and Dr. Thomas' attention to the name his chocobo now has.

"It is derived from the name 'Raniero' which means 'wise warrior', or from older text could mean 'black'. How it would live up to his new name lies on your shoulders. "The older man read for us in a considerably lower tone before putting a hand on Blake's shoulder." Anyways, I've only come by to check if they have a copy of 'Root of the Stars'. Good to see both of you doing well. G'day." A bow, a flourish, and a tip of his hat later, the Grand Castle's medical expert walked away with the some charm and cheer in his step.

That left me alone with Blake and the newly renamed Nero in a somewhat empty corner of the library. I backed off his chair and thought it'd be better if we finally get the elephant out of the room. So I sat down beside him, only for him to turn the other way.

"Good to see you out of the inn." I tried easing our way into that lunch topic.

"I can't hole myself in there forever," he says as he tries to open a different book.

"A change of pace is good for everyone." I comment, eyeing the baby names book as Nero walked around the books placed messily on the table. The chocobo stopped when Blake hit the table with his hand.

"Seriously? You really can't let that go, can you?" His face twists into a bitter glare when he begins to turn in his seat.

"Whoa, whoa, I'm just trying-"

"Trying is always the functional word with you. Trying to help, trying to make things better. Can't you just focus on the most important thing we have for us and just let everything else go!?"

"I wasn't talking about that!"

Both of us were bombarded with an even louder wave of "SHHHH!" from an increasing number of people. Blake leans back into his chair, still irritated about what he thought I was talking about, probably mistaking it for our last big disagreement almost five days ago, but I guess he feels the same about both times.

"I had to do what I had to do. It was my mistake and I had to fix it." He gives me a short look, one of disappointment. "Besides, you didn't do anything to help me there. It looks like I can only rely on myself on leading on everyone around us."

He's right on that one. I didn't offer much to help that time because it happened so fast. The moment we heard the question I just couldn't think of anything. When he mentioned the zoo part, my mind also went blank and didn't have any idea how to expand on it. Now we're just hoping that it didn't damage any of the continuity he wants to leave unchanged.

Apologizing about it won't make it go any better now that it's all in the past. Just forget about it for now and relax on your day off, Alyssa. Since I was just doing that with Steiner and Vivi, I might as well extend the invitation to Blake.

"Might as well. These people sure don't appreciate my presence here after all the noise we've been making." He gathers Nero into his sling as well as the books he has used in his other hand, not even asking for my help to put them back. "I'll be at the entrance in a minute." That's kinda cold.

Let him be, Alyssa. He's still sore about everything so far. Let him sort it out if he doesn't want help. He knows I'll be here when he needs my help in case he needs it.

Finding Steiner and Vivi took about a few minutes. The black mage didn't move an inch from the spot I left him, and was now looking through unusual Qu recipes when I told him we're going to a different place. Steiner was just about to be thrown out by the staff for his 'searching methods' when I had to apologize on his behalf before getting out of there in case the knight wants to argue some more. Blake followed just a few seconds later, looking amused at what Steiner's antics.

Of course, Steiner pointed a blaming finger at him the moment he heard him "You! Where have you put the princess, you cretin!"

"Captain, please contain yourself before you fling wild accusations at me." He held up his hand defensively. Nero agreed with him by tweeting at the armored man. "I'm not like Zidane. Or maybe she just wanted a stroll without you looking over her."

"Can we all calm down, guys?" Vivi told the two as he adjusted his hat.

"Yeah. We might find Dagger at the park. That's a good place to take a stroll." I suggested to the tense knight. He agreed and let Blake off the hook, walking ahead of us despite not knowing where the park is.

The Residential Park was surprisingly big when we got there. It reminded me of Central Park with what they had here, but Residential Park was only like a fraction of it. It had three types of terrain all separating the park into parts: one with the grassy, flowery, meadow-type with small hills, wooden benches, and a nice open area, one forest-y type that had a jogging/walking area with a small pond in the center, and one filled with brown and red tiles for floors, stone benches, some gazeebos, and a fountain.

Everyone had their favorite part of the park where they want to spend time in. Vivi wanted to run through the trees and see the pond. Steiner continued his search by following his Master Vivi first. Blake wanted to take a seat in one of the gazeebos and Nero just chirped with him since he can't decide for himself just yet. Mine was to take it easy by wandering by the hill.

-Blake-

Wandering past individuals and couples waltzing through the park, I tried to find a nice place to sit down and not think about anything. It was hard finding such a spot in a park, despite the open spaces and large area this place covered. If I am not trying to avoid people my age or older just standing around doing nothing, I have to keep a look out on nosy kids wanting to pet Nero. If they want to touch a chocobo, go to a zoo or hatch your own. This one is too young to be surrounded with nuisances.

Eventually I find a nice spot near one of the gazeebos that has no kids around, open enough to put Nero down so he could walk around, and with enough shade from said gazeebo to cover us from the heat of the sun. He enjoyed the feeling of dirt under his tiny chocobo feet as it circled around the initial area I put him down. Chirping at me, I give it a nod to acknowledge him, though I'm not sure if it understands human body language. Well, probably not yet.

Looking around the park, I could see a lot of people casually spending their time together with their loved ones. I can't help but feel envious and regret even going out of the inn and getting roped into going here. Those kids running around their parents lovingly holding each other in their arms, those teenagers having a laugh by the fountain, or that elderly couple just gazing at the scenery before them. They all have someone important to them right beside them while I don't have anyone aside from a baby chocobo who thinks I squatted and pushed out his egg.

I've never been away from home this long since that week-long vacation I spent with some of my cousins, and at least then I was with people I've grown up and spent time with. Even then Nina would be there with me spending girl time with the girls around there. One of the most prominent incidents during one of those vacations was me tearing a massive hole in my leg after a biking accident. Nina was extremely annoyed and made me know about it as we hastily rode to a hospital.

How she's coping with me getting struck by lightning and possibly in a coma is something I can easily imagine being similar to that biking accident. The jury is still out how I think my parents would react to it.

Maybe I should've pushed to stay in the library to avoid this environment, just stick my nose into a book or two to pull my mind away from thinking about work or the future I have to keep track of. That or sleep all day and night today. What were the odds of me being found by Dr. Thomas and Alyssa in the same ten minute timeframe?

I lie down on the grass to relax, turning my head where Nero was bumping into my shoe and chirping with each nudge he does. I slipped off the sling and cradled my injured wrist against my chest, making sure it was secure from anything around me that could intentionally and accidentally harm it, keeping an eye on the small chocobo and my environment.

"If you keep looking like that, you won't be able to relax." My ears pick up on a pair of feet crunching the grass beneath them approaching as my eyes follow to the source. One glimpse of a flowing brown cloak made any interest in finding out who it was die out as I dropped back down to the ground.

"We really should stop meeting like this. We've met in person four times already and I can already tell you're not the scheduling type. Maybe you're the kind who likes to surprise people?" I questioned, though it seemed like it didn't register with her as she took a seat on the grass beside me.

"Sometimes I like to keep people guessing." She answers with a hint of playfulness in her tone. I rolled my eyes at her attempt to lighten the mood, but I preferred to be direct to the point, especially with Meguro and her surprise antics.

"If you were wondering, I've already given thought to my final question. That is if you want to be here to hear about it." I wave the folded paper I just pulled out that contained my thoughts and other listed questions for her to answer.

Meguro simply nods, gesturing me to go ahead. The list was necessary at the start, but now I had the question I had to ask in my mind since yesterday. Anyway, I don't bother opening it and recite my main final question.

"I'd like some clarification about something you mentioned before. You mentioned back in Dali that you can help me. What do you mean? I mean, you look like you hardly can take care of yourself in a fight. No offense."

One simple shake of her head let it pass. "It's alright. It's unavoidable especially with how I look. Everyone sees me as a dusty, old lady who shouldn't be outside city borders by her lonesome. Regarding your question, there are multiple ways of helping. Like right now we are exchanging information."

"Too bad the way you're "helping" right now isn't exactly worth much." I crossed my able arm under my injured one as I made my point.

"Trust remains to be a big factor for you, I see."

"Well of course it is. You're this stranger I keep running into who likes to serve more questions than answers. You walk around as if you're shrouded in a mist of secrets." Aside from that the fact that you aren't also in Final Fantasy IX makes it harder for me to trust you.

"Let's see if I'll be able to get a fraction of your trust today." That smile of hers come out again. It's like she knows something but really enjoys keeping it to herself until the exact time she wants to reveal it. I felt even wearier as I watched her take out something from her pockets. "You dropped this in your wild chase in Alexandria."

In her palm rested a small square object with a color similar to her hair enveloped in jumbled wires. A single look at it and I immediately recognized it. It was my mp3, a small device that held almost 500 of my songs that has carried me through days and nights back at home. Seeing it right in front of me sparked this feeling of happiness, but I stopped myself from reaching for it in fear of revealing one of my secrets. So I kept my mouth shut about knowing what it is. I can feign ignorance on it and say there was a crowd present during that whole debacle so it could have been dropped by anyone else.

"That's not mine. I have no idea what that object is." From the look on her face, she found my words hard to believe.

"I can sense the tension in your body, my child. But don't fret. This is what I meant. You can keep your secrets and I can aid you in doing so." I'm not sure what she interpreted when I stumbled on my words and failed to make a coherent sentence, but she did continue speaking. "Not every traveler must be easily read like an open book."

I point at the mp3 in her hands after finally finding my voice. "Okay, so let's say that this thing is mine, even though it's definitely not. Hypothetically speaking, what would you do with it then?"

She shrugged as she examines the device briefly. "Then I would ask to make sure this is yours. If not then I will hide it away until I find the rightful owner." She then examines the mp3 closely, looking impressed at the tiny device even though she didn't know what it can do. "It would be such a shame if such a device were to be lost to its owner." Then I noticed her eyes glint almost slyly at me with her next words. "However, none such individual exists because this kind of technology doesn't exist yet. Such a sleek and simple device would take numerous iterations to make. The technology here is...cruder and bulkier and inferior to this one."

Great, she's well-versed in technology as well. She honestly doesn't look the part but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She just keeps getting weirder and weirder the more she speaks. There's going to be a point where she reveals that she's actually Gaia's oldest 'Renaissance Woman'.

What if she actually knows that this is mine and knows that the mp3 wasn't made here? She can already tell it looks out of place. Then the question will be, what are the odds of her knowing I also look out of place? Still I can't admit that that thing is mine. Too risky. She may have been spying on me, but she does not know the full story yet. Besides, I may be able to use this to my advantage just a little bit. Let's see if I can play her game.

I dug through my own stuff and got my wallet. "You know I think I found that certain individual's other belongings as well."

The contents weren't all that important, just some various pictures of solo headshots of me and other shots of my family in different sizes, coins, paper bills, arcade cards, coupons, and my school ID. That last one I was thinking of keeping in case I die and someone has to find an object that may tell of my identity, however that ID doesn't belong in this world and would only create more questions than offer answers, so I kept it in and presented the whole collection to Meguro.

"That person may be looking for this as well. Couldn't help but think they're out there wondering who got their stuff."

She takes the wallet and weighs it in her palm. "So you do understand what I mean."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. We are only talking about hypothetical situations." I crossed my arm and continued to play coy. Her laugh doesn't ease the tension between us, yet she does take the wallet into her pocket without any objections.

I know that someday someone would be curious enough to sift through my stuff. Removing anything that doesn't belong to this dimension would decrease the chances of that person looking into me more. Might as well do that now while I have the chance. I'd advise Alyssa to do the same if she has any on her.

"Very well." She's pretty accepting of this. I wonder if she expected this outcome or she just manages to roll with the punches easily.

"So you really are fine with helping me."

"An odd statement, especially coming from someone who didn't trust a word I said the last time we spoke to each other."

I shrug and eye her carefully. "You keep offering, but I still can't find it in my heart to trust what you're saying."

The woman nods and places a hand under her chin. After a brief silence between us, she keeps position but mentions something. "Well, if that's the case then I should just ask something from you in order to understand how I can truly help you." Her eyes then look me up and down for a few seconds, something with how her eyes moved was different from how she would look at me before and it makes me uncomfortable. "I've seen how you act around your friends. One can't help but wonder why you would continue to associate with them if you tend to hold them farther away from an arm's length despite their acceptance of you."

I raised an eyebrow at her supposed observation. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Perhaps you're not comfortable being around them." That's kind of true since I always have to be alert whenever Zidane and the others are around. I need to be aware of everything I say around them because one wrong line might cause them to dig into our backgrounds. That would mean discovering that we're not who we say we are and that is something I would rather not happen. "My guess would be you would like to never worry about them."

"Never worry about them how?"

"Your discomfort comes from being around them. You should feel better if you were to be some place...familiar."

"Alright, you're going into vague territory. Can you talk in words easier to comprehend?"

"A place familiar like home."

I sit up and look at her, trying to understand what she is saying. She only brings up an eyebrow, silently asking if I got it or not. "You're going to have to explain what you meant." I turn to her and almost expected to vanish like the two previous times, but surprisingly she remained there with a smile across her face.

"Like I said before, what I said can be taken at face value. All I need is a little trust."

"I hope you're saying what I think you're saying." I narrowed my eyes on her. This is something she couldn't mess around with. You do not bring up or imply something like that and not have a way to bring it to the table. But if she really us serious then I have no idea how she can actually go ahead and do that.

"We'll see. You just might need to prove to the world you are worthy of help."

"Don't you mean prove to you?"

"Not to me. You've already proven it to me." She gently places a hand on my sling. It almost felt like she wasn't touching me, but the presence was there. "But the Crystal."

…What? What in the hell is she talking about!? What Crystal?

The silence between us is comparable to a stare down in a library, just plain people moving around you in their own bubbles and words being held back in our throats in case we gave away the secrets we don't intend to spill. But at that point I've already lost as I've turned away from Meguro in case she sees the reaction my face went through, from questionable curiosity to horrified shock. Apparently this is what she expected as a response when she stands up and dusts the blades of grass that got on her cloak.

"How you will prove your worth is up to you. It does not have a definite will, but it will surely feel the results of your actions." Her words register a blank in my head as I stand up from the grass.

One of her hands reaches behind her right under the cloak and brings out this small object. It was covered in multiple layers of cloth and an oddly designed purple handle. She takes my hand and puts the strange object in my palm. It was light and felt familiar. Is it a weapon?

I look up to her, trying to understand what was happening and failing incredibly. "What do you mean by that? Why did you bring that up? What is this?"

Meguro only looks at me warmly as if she is trying to quell my curiosity. "You wanted help, I have brought help to you. It just comes down to how you choose to interpret the information you have now and introduce it to your plan of action. But that should be all for now." She sets up her hood and begins to walk away. "All I can hope for is that you are successful. Until then."

"Hey wait! I'm still talking to you, damn it! You can't just drop the mic like that and walk away! There's no mic to fucking drop! Hey!" People were starting to stare because of the unexpected profanity, but I could not care any less as I tried to get after her once I picked up Nero from my feet.

I picked up Nero into my hand and ignored the sling hanging off my arm, trying to run up at the elderly woman and stop her. She proved to be surprisingly faster than I imagined. It might be because of the people walking and running around I had to stop in order to not collide with everyone around me, which made it harder for me to reach her. My hand desperately attempted to catch her cloak, thinking that I can pull her to a stop, but it seemed that the wind sided with her as it fluttered away from my fingertips as she increased the distance between us faster than I thought was possible for someone her age.

Before I knew it, she vanished in between the passing crowds near the entrance of the park in front of me. I tried looking around, away from the sudden crowd that formed and could find no trace of her. I cannot believe it. She managed to leave me in a closed room and in an open area as well. I stomp my foot at the ground in frustration as I let my anger stir. Nero could tweet all he wants in the sling but his untranslatable words were no comfort to me.

It is just as I feared. Meguro may have answered my questions, but her constant need to be vague and unbelievable ability to provide more questions as she answered them made it all the more frustrating. Now there's nothing I can't do about it unless she appears beside me to provide more context for them. My head could not help but turn to both of my sides in case she was there. It was all for nothing as all I could see are random people walking in and out of the park, passing me to get to their preferred destinations.

All I have now are vague answers that I need to interpret, her suggestion, possibly to mess with my head or a genuine way to hold my hand at this mystery she left on my lap.

How to interpret the crystal's will and impress it? How in the world can I do that? That sounds clearly insane. Where do I even begin? There's also the question if she knows I'm not from here or not. That's an easier question to answer, but it'll take her appearing and getting her to talk to have that answered.

Something touched my shoulder and I could have sworn I left my mortal body for a few seconds.

"Blake?" Standing behind me was Alyssa. There was something in how she stood made me think she was tired. Of what, I could only guess. "You're very twitchy right now. Something's not right."

I tried to shake off the surprise and get myself presentable, hiding the item Meguro gave me by placing it in my pocket. Forget about what Meguro said for a few minutes and analyze it later.

"The reason why I'm twitchy is you caught me off-guard. Hard to see you coming when I'm deep in thought and surrounded." I insisted, brushing off the last of grass on my back. As I was inspecting my clothes, I see her look over her shoulder when I notice a red-attired foreigner from a rainy city standing there like a guardian angel. "What is she doing here?" I asked Alyssa.

"Leaving, actually." Freya answered for herself. "If you were aware, panic was in the air after our brief exchange with some monsters in the street."

Wait hold on. Did I hear that right? "Monsters?"

\- Alyssa -

_Just a few minutes ago…_

You know what would make this whole thing better? A parade.

Not that I decided then and there that the city should have a parade. I wouldn't know how to organize one if someone asked me to. But the city surprisingly made an impromptu one when I heard some of the children call their parents to see the animals in the parade. Since I didn't know there was one, I thought I should go and check it out.

And what do you know, it looked like a parade but it was more of transporting that somehow people enjoyed like a parade. Monsters locked in cages were rolled through the street by adult chocobos, guardsmen armed with lances and swords stood by each cage politely telling the residents to move to the side and let their entourage of soon-to-be prey for the hunters in the Festival. The monsters growled and roared and snarled at the human and animal population looking at them, scaring some of the kids and surprised adults, but majority were staring in awe at the captive beasts.

It was interesting to watch, but it's the first minute that you need to see because it doesn't get that much different afterwards. Once people gather around to see the mean monsters locked up, you soak it in and move on. The monsters just roar and growl, but not much else aside from those. Sure there's like two or three that get testy and act up in their little space, yet there's nothing it can do but hit, scratch and bite the bars.

I shrug and enjoy what I see and thought that would be the end of it. I hear a bunch of metal clanging against each other. "No sign of the princess- What are they doing showcasing monsters like a bunch of variety floats!?"

"I dunno what the harm is. This just how they transport them, I guess?" I tried to make a reason. Steiner might be right on some level though.

"Nonetheless, they should be hurrying more than this casual pace they are on." He said a bit too loudly, the guards doing their jobs not appreciating the added criticism.

"C'mon Steiner, let's look by the gazeebos. Maybe Dagger's relaxing there or something." I said as I tried to lead the knight away from getting the guards ticked off at him for slinging unwanted critiques and back to his 'mission'.

What got him to plant his feet down into the grass and dirt was when he heard a few people gasp.

He was looking at one of the cages at the back and it looked like the trio of Fangs they managed to lock in a single box were getting very rowdy to the point of biting and scratching at each other. The force of their attacks on each other played against the size of the box containing them, so picture the faces of the citizens watching that the wheeled cage is rocking back and forth. Everyone who wasn't armed was being told to get away from the cage as they tried to contain the monsters by clanging against the bars and hitting them with the blunt side of the their weapons.

That didn't prove to be enough as it pissed off the monsters even more. The Fangs then directed their anger from each other to the stick whacking them. They probably thought it would work since they did it, but there was something wrong about the Fangs when they looked at the guard hitting them. One of the Fangs blinked and I could've sworn it had something bright green in its eyes before it charged the bars.

In one pounce, one of them caught the lance of the offending guardsman and wouldn't let him go. The others kept pouncing against the bars, the force of their attack against it caused the wheeled cage to teeter to the side on two of its wheels. The guard realized what was happening and tried to escape, but was too late when the cage leaned too far and fell down on his back.

The civilians nearby moving away from the street as more of the guards moved in. Steiner jumped the fence dividing the park and the parade to assist. However, they didn't really pay attention to the ruckus caused by this one cage to the others. It's like it awakened the others. A lot of barking and roaring filled the street and it gave me this bad feeling in my gut, the noises starting to scare the chocobos pulling the parade.

Instinctively, I tried feeling for my sword at my hip, then I realized I left it at the inn thinking my rest day wouldn't involve possibly fighting monsters in a busy street. Annoyed of my current circumstances, I hopped the fence to join Steiner in helping with the man under the cage. The fall bent some of the bars out of their straight positions and this sight of loose openings made the Fangs desperate to force their way through. With how close the guards helping the wounded guy out, they might be in danger of getting attacked.

"Come on and pick up the pace! Lift like your lives depend on it!" Steiner shouted at the guards as they concentrated their efforts at lifting part of the cage. They heaved and managed to start pulling out the guy. His legs were scratched up by the Fang and I'm not sure about his back, but at least he's alive.

Finally the Fangs managed to squeeze through the bars and immediately went for the closest person's shoulder. The attack, as well as the pained scream of their comrade, caused the lifting guards to seize up. The brief distraction made them drop the edge of the cage back on their buddy and sent some of them down to the dirt. Steiner had his hands caught and struggled to lift it alone with the scrambled attention of the guards around him.

Just as another Fang joined its monster buddy in the street, the other parts of Lindblum's forces tasked with handling the monsters tried to quell the unleashed beasts. Unfortunately that combined with making sure the other cages don't rattle enough to free more monsters, calming their chocobos, and ensuring the safety of the civilians proved that their numbers weren't enough to help Steiner. So I did the only reasonable thing I had in mind.

I ran to Steiner and took his sword just in time to stop the other Fang from getting to him. The monster's mouth was filled with steel, biting down on the weapon keeping it from getting its claws and fangs on me and Steiner's back. I struggled a bit against the captain's armor in trying to adjust my stance, but a helpful nudge from the knight gave me the boost to kick away the Fang. It landed against the other one, freeing the guard fighting it off so he can seek his weapon and fight back.

"Sorry, I hope I can borrow this for a while." I apologize to him over my shoulder as I adjust my grip on his broadsword. Again, the sword was heavier than the one I had in the inn. Why do the knights in Alexandria carry heavier weaponry anyway?

"Are you sure you will be fine on your own, Miss Forsyth?" He responded with a grunt. There's other guards around, but they're making sure the public don't get hurt and that other monsters don't get loose. The guy who was initially attacked looked like he was not able to fight, but at least he got away before any major damage happened to him.

As if to make things worse, the chocobos were sent into a panic and the cage tied to them started to veer away from the road and collided with the corner of a building when both of them tried to run in two different directions. The large birds were jerked back and down to the ground due to the force. This gave the three Mus in them a way out through the loosened bars and an easy pair of prey to feast on.

The Lindblum guards in charge of them gathered and tried to contain them in their own fight away from us. It looked like they had that in lockdown for a while, but I need to focus on the two in front of me. While Steiner and the others are trying to get the guy under the cage out, I'll just have to put these Fangs down or hold out long enough for the others to be in the okay and give me a hand.

"I hope I am." I reply, keeping track of both monsters in front of me.

Both of the Fangs pounced at the same time. Blocking both would only result in me getting hurt so I rolled to the side and put up my sword defensively in case they followed up. When they didn't, I went on the attack with an overhead smash with the blunt side of the sword. It connected with the back of a Fang, but it was heavy and going for another attack took half a second to adjust, but it was enough for the other Fang to jump in with its claws. With no other item to use defensively, I pulled the sword up as fast as I can to block, only for my forearms to catch most of the damage.

Jenny was going to ask a lot of questions why her employee has cut on her arms and her newly-bought clothes. I set the thought of her curiosity and the pain of the marks on my arms starting to drip with blood aside as I tried to counterattack. A direct stab made both Fangs move away, but one of them went for another claw cut at me and didn't expect me to redirect my footing so I could spin in a circle, extending the blade with a long circle slash.

The Fang was sent rolling back, its attempt at getting back was met with stumbling and shaking its head as blood ran down its face. I think I managed to nick it in the eye, seeing as one of them was closed and bloody. The other tried to avenge it fellow escapee by running at me with its mouth open. Once I again I put the sword between me and it, and this time it wants me more than the last time as it pushed it with all its might. I tried pushing the edge of the sword into its jaw. It worked and cut through its skin until I hit bone, but it proved resilient when it roared through the sword and bit at me, only covering the sword with more of its blood and further injuring itself, while desperately pawing at me with its front legs.

I had an idea on how to get away and it involved a bit of rolling, and I was stopped from doing so when I saw the other black-furred beast starting to charge at me. My mind tried to thinking of another way of getting both of them down, but I guess I wasn't thinking fast enough that it already was in the air, its jaws wide open to take a chunk out of my body.

Suddenly something collided with it in midair and a second later found itself solidly planted into the ground. It took me a second to realize that a spear from the heavens had saved my life. Then someone in red landed beside it to retrieve their weapon from the dead body of the beast.

"You can finish off that one at your pace." Freya turned and spoke to me.

Snapping me out of my shock, I turn back to the Fang in front of me, grip my sword with both hands and use the monster's force against it by rolling backwards and keeping the sword in its mouth. We completed the roll and I managed to find myself on top of it. Then I plant my elbow between its eyes, a wild yelp leaving its injured mouth, and I got the sword against where its throat should be and cut it. The Fang convulsed momentarily before lying limp with blood gathering on the floor. I stand before it could dirty Steiner's sword any more, shaking a bit after seeing the life of the Fang drain away from its eyes. I know it's still a monster, but maybe I should've picked a less brutal way to beat it.

"Thanks for covering me." I call out to Freya, my voice a bit shaky. She used the fur of the dead Fang to wipe off the blood it had on the blade. "Your aim…Wow!"

She nodded as she walked towards me. "You're welcome. The Dragon Knights of Burmecia are trained in the arts of spear-wielding, whether it may be on land or in the air. Our effectiveness is only sharpened by dedication to our training. You were not bad yourself."

I swallow and calm down a bit from her compliment. "Could be better if I had my sword. I didn't really think I'd need to fight today."

With one more collective grunting and heaving, Steiner and the merry band of Lindblum's finest finally got their friend out of the hot zone and carried him to the nearest medical facility. The other group managed to keep the Mus at bay and under control without having to kill them. Guess they're better at this than I am if they can do that. Obviously they are. Though looking back at the Fangs, I can't help but feel I missed something.

A scream echoed in the air from the park and my head turned to it. In the distance, people were running away from a loose Fang, the third one from the same cage the first two was from. I kept my hold on Steiner's sword as I jumped the fence and ran towards it, shouting at everyone to keep away from it.

It stopped and threateningly growled at this older lady. She backed up one step and it followed her with two of its own. My shout got them to look at me, the Fang shooting me a dangerous glare as I interrupted it from picking out its meal. Freya and Steiner stopped beside me when the Fang barked before rushing us, not understanding that it's outnumbered. Freya stepped up and spun her spear above her and brought it down with precision right on its head, flooring the wild beast.

"Leave this to us. Please escort this woman away from the violence." Steiner asked of me as he took back his sword. I agreed and ran around the fight to get the elderly woman away by the hand, not dragging her behind me but gingerly directing her to safety.

"I can't thank you enough for saving an old lady like me." When we were away and safe, she could only give me this warm smile as she held my hand with both of hers as I make sure that she's alright. No bites or claw marks on her clothes, which was weird that it looked almost as old as her, no offense to her look though. How she managed to follow me without tripping proved she might be more active than the usual older person.

I shook my head and return the smile. "It's fine, ma'am. Everyone has their duty. I just thought it'd be nice to help out."

I didn't have to look over my shoulder to see that both the Burmecian and Alexandrian worked together effectively as they didn't let the Fang move in an inch as they systematically beat it. No one probably could've imagined both of their home countries waging war with each other in a couple of days. Anyone watching them would've been impressed if they weren't scared and going to a safer place from the park and the street where the monsters came from.

She starts digging around her pocket. "Here. Please take this as a token of my gratitude." Eventually she pulled out this thick necklace made of stainless metal with a purple jewel as its centerpiece. She gently gathered it in her palm, gave it one more look before extending her hand to me.

"I can't take this. Please, you don't really need give me anything..."

The lady held my hand and placed the necklace in my palm. "I certainly insist. This was a gift long ago I received from aiding an old friend. Now I pass it on to you and hope it protects you as it did me."

I saw how she looked up at me and how thankful her eyes seemed. As someone who didn't know what was gonna happen at that street, I guess I understand how she feels to have someone be there for her. Finally I let her close my hand around the necklace in it and allow her to let go of it, patting it one last time before stepping back. She seemed to brighten, her eyes seemed to widen with happiness after I accept it.

"Thanks..." I say as I examine the necklace. It was light to the touch except for the jewel, which felt as heavy as a small pebble. The whole thing was beautiful, making me wonder why she'd part with it, but I guess she's sentimental enough to pass it along like her old friend.

The whole monster commotion was finally put to rest when more of the city's guardsmen came in to control the unsettled chocobos and hostile monsters. One of them didn't look like he could swing a mace around, but whatever he sprayed at those monsters made them go from very agitated to very docile in a matter of minutes. All of them were lying on the floor, staring into the distance which made for an easier escorting experience. Thankfully none of the civilians in the park or in the street weren't hurt, only the two guards caught off-guard at the beginning were injured and brought to nearest hospital.

We were thanked by the guards for our efforts. They didn't seem bothered that we killed those monsters. Heck, they were almost glad to be rid of one pack of Fangs to carry back to where they're storing these things for the Festival. Glad we're not getting scolded for killing the event's prey and partially ruining the Festival. Once everything was under control again, things seemed to have went back to normal. People were still tense as the "parade" started to leave the area, but at least there weren't any monsters on the loose anymore. Well, until the actual Festival, that is.

"You handled yourself well there." Freya observed once her, Steiner, and I were alone.

I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. Who knew I'd be getting praise from one of Burmecia's best? "Well, I could've panicked like the rest, but Steiner was having a tough time getting that cage of that guy. Might as well stop the Fang from getting to him before things got worse."

"She is more capable than she looks, which I can attest to witnessing first-hand on our initial meeting." You too, Steiner? This day just keeps getting better and better.

"Aw, you're making me blush, guys! I was just trying my best. I couldn't have gotten out there without a scratch if Freya didn't jump in. Literally."

"One of the many virtues my dragon knight brethren have lived to personify is help when and where you can. Most of them are duty-bound to this belief. I would like to believe that I can embody such a virtue myself. If we fail, all we can hope is inspire those around us." There was a proud note in her voice as she spoke about her fellow dragon knights while I stared at her in awe. I guess the titles may be different but they still function to be these people you can look up to.

All I managed in response was a weak but still amazed, "Wow..."

"Nonetheless, you're good with a sword. Have you thought of giving the Festival of the Hunt a try?" Freya rested her spear on her shoulder as she presented me with a thought.

"Well... I'm not really in the competitive field of monster hunting..." Besides, I really think there are more people who's fit to be in the Festival than me. I wouldn't want to take a spot from someone who wants it more. My answer before was I'd only get in the way of more competitive people who want to be known as the better hunter.

Freya nodded understandingly, but continued to speak. "Yes, it is a competition for most, like me. Although there are some who use this opportunity to hone their skills, to build upon the foundation of their abilities and improve. I see potential in you and it would be a waste if you let it flounder without any significant training. And besides, there are no limits in entrants in the Festival."

A lot of good points, can't argue with her since she's the one with a hell of a lot of fighting experience over me, but it's something for me to think about. Nothing's really stopping me from going in art this point after knowing there's no limit.

Okay, there's still something I would have to keep in mind. One, the monsters will really kill if they get the chance. There's no load game option to save me from failing. All I can do is rely on my own skills and items if I do choose to enter. It's every person for themselves in the Festival, the individual with the most points win.

"I'll think about it."

The Alexandrian knight gave our surroundings a sweep and sighed with relief. "Now that everything is back to normal, I must say I'm glad I did not see the princess in this area."

There was a brief, subtle tilt in Freya's head when she heard that. "Princess?"

"Uh...it's a long story." I stammered, not sure if I had Steiner's permission of honestly answering that or not. "Maybe we should head back and check with the others. Meet back here in a few minutes?"

Steiner nodded and directed his attention to where Vivi was, saying he was a bit worried that his master might've noticed the panic in the park. Freya accompanied me to where Blake was. Not that I didn't mind her being around. I just thought she had important places to be. Her reason for sticking around was that I was still shaking a bit from the adrenaline. Guess the sharp aim goes well with sharp observations.

Something from what she said earlier stuck in my mind. We've been quiet on the walk there so I thought it'd be nice fill the silence with a brief question and some of her thoughts.

"Hey, there's something you said earlier. About dragon knights being duty-bound to help." I paused briefly just to make sure Freya heard me, her hum acknowledging my statement. "Do you guys travel the world and do that stuff wherever you go?"

"Some of us do, but the majority of us stay in our homeland to serve our land and king." She responds proudly.

"...So you're saying that those who traveled the world have done a lot of positive stuff in the world? Like help those in need, protect the weak, and whatnot."

A nod follows her next answer. "I'm confident they have. Whether it may be big or small, they have contributed their best efforts and intentions. I know of one who is still traveling and I would like to believe that he is still out there doing what he can with his abilities. Though I pray he comes home unscathed."

Ah yes, Sir Fratley. That…uh…gonna be a painful topic in the future. But she sounded hopeful right now. "Sorry if I'm being too question-y about your culture, but I was just wondering, hypothetical scenario, don't need to be a serious answer, but if you know that this place is in danger in the future and you can aid them now at a great risk, would you still go there and help out?"

"Without a question, I will still offer aid." She replied in an instant. "Personally, the risk does not matter if the results end in the positive."

I stop for a moment to turn to the red-clad woman, somehow my investment in the hypothetical interested her enough to get an answer like that, "But what if there's a chance it ends in the negative?"

Her face was unreadable because of her hat tilted down. Even so I could feel how her dedication in her work carries through her voice. "Then that's a risk I'm willing to take."

I nod as I let her answer sink in. She's really the type to work as a knight for the people in need. I thank her for her answers, real ones and hypothetical, though it looked like she honestly didn't mind, as we continue through the park.

Only a minute of walking got us to the park's tiled section. Beautiful center fountain, sizeable gazeebos, and overall a nice place to hang out in like the rest of the park. He wasn't in the immediate area, which was a bit confusing since I know he'd rather be in a single place. It was hard trying to find Blake out of a moving crowd, yet it looked like Freya had something to go by as she homed in on a single direction.

"I can hear a young chocobo nearby." Freya picked up a noise I couldn't hear with all the people around us.

She leads me to one of the nearby exits where the word about the monster parade has just passed through leading to a lot of people moving away from the park. Might as well get to safety in case it happens, I hear some of them saying as we pass them. Not a bad idea to make sure they're safe. There's some of the city's guards patrolling the area now as a precaution.

The dragon knight tapped me on the shoulder, taking my attention away to point at the sidewalk just out of the park. Standing there looking left and right furiously was Blake. He looked tense and mad, his mouth was moving as if he was having one of his moments, with a faint kweh coming from his direction. His back had some grass on it and his sling wasn't worn on properly. He was probably relaxing before he went for a walk? I dunno.

I walked over to him and called his name. My hand was on his shoulder for just a second when he suddenly turned around, eyes a bit wide at the sight of me. He had something in his hand, something with a purple color he tried to hide behind him.

"You're very twitchy right now. Something's not right." I stated. He backed off a step and tried to fix himself, avoiding eye contact for a few seconds as he dusted off the grass and fixed his sling.

"The reason why I'm twitchy is you caught me off-guard. Hard to see you coming when I'm deep in thought and surrounded." His dismissal wasn't that believable after seeing his jumpy shock a few seconds ago. I could see Freya giving him her own look, which he caught the moment I glanced over my shoulder. "What is she doing here?"

"Leaving, actually." Freya answered, tapping her spear on the ground. "If you were unaware, panic is in the air after our brief exchange with some monsters in the street."

"Monsters?" Complete confusion filled Blake's face.

We had to give him the long story short about the parade sailing by the street for the hunt, a complete thing I didn't expect to happen. As we told him what happened, he let it sink in for a moment before aiming this accusing glare at me, making things as tense as our introduction with Freya a few days ago. She noticed it too, but didn't exactly show that she did. I didn't know what I did to get that look. All I was doing was relaying what happened.

"So, what made the situation _change_?" The emphasis and the glare made the accusation more obvious. Somehow, someway, he thinks this might've been our—no, MY fault.

"As far as I could tell, the monsters just started acting erratically. After that, a brief time of chaos in the street." Freya responded with what she and I saw before everything happened. He didn't appear satisfied with the answer, but from everything that's happened between us he's not all that pleased with everything.

"Well whatever. At least it didn't go for too long. All's well that ends well, I guess." He shrugged, walking past the two of us accompanied by Nero's chirps in his sling.

"Hopefully that will be the only unexpected fun this town gets until the actual event." Freya addressed the thought everyone had regarding this whole thing.

"Yeah, hopefully." Blake repeats with another look at me. With a breath he changes tracks and smiles. "Thanks for looking out for my friend here. Sometimes she jumps before looking. A pretty dangerous habit, if I do say so myself. I, on the other hand, have to leave and go sleep off this stress. No need to cut your 'day off' short on my expense." He didn't even wait for another word out of us as he turned around, waved, and left for the aircab station.

Freya could only shake her head at Blake's attitude. I couldn't help but agree and pinch the bridge of my nose a bit. He's not the one who fought off two Fangs and rescued this old lady today. I should be the one who should sleep off stress. Also, I didn't need his glares and looks too! That whole parade thing wasn't my fault. Well, not that I know anyway since I've yet to find any connection to what we've done so far to it happening.

Except the Fang having green eyes for a second. That was suspicious.

Now that I've made sure Blake is okay, Freya had accompanied me enough. I thanked her for her time and for her help again and she accepted my kind words with a single nod before leaving. Her reason? "To train for the Festival," she said before jumping off to where her training is happening. She soared in the air with a grace only a dragon knight in this world can have.

I met up with Steiner and Vivi afterwards. The black mage wondered what the commotion was earlier, but didn't actively chase it when he was distracted by this family of swans gliding through the pond. He said they all looked very pretty and watched them as an elderly hippo couple feed them bread. Steiner had to end his princess search and relented that she might still be back in the Grand Castle.

"Do you have another place you want to visit, Alyssa?" Vivi asked me.

I shook my head. "I think that's enough sightseeing for me, Vivi. Might use this time to relax and get some dinner."

"We've taken in enough of Lindblum culture from what we've seen and done today." Steiner felt pleased with his experience despite not finding Dagger.

The three of us then took the aircab back to our respective rest places, the Grand Castle for them and the Business District for me. I waved them goodbye for now as the aircab started moving and picking up speed to its next stop.

"Note to self, always carry sword."

-OLaF-

Something in the air felt like things didn't go back to normal after that parade in the park. Sure the air feels a bit electric with all the excitement for the Festival of the Hunt. There's been an increase of visitors from the neighboring cities in town, along with more people coming by Endless Color and Jenny pushing for more aggressive marketing. The Business District's basically bustling with potential customers left and right and I'm sure the next few days are going to be good for every business in town until the Festival finishes.

That doesn't mean things can't be on the bad side of not being normal.

Normally I'd be focusing on doing my (part-time) job to get people to come and see what Endless Color has in stock by parading in Jenny's chosen outfits like a mascot. But what Freya said back then in the park, about her duty and my skills, it kept coming back to mind whenever I'd have a calm moment like right now when I'm travelling to the Industrial District via aricab. I do appreciate her compliments about my fighting ability, bolsters my confidence in it since not a lot of my friends appreciate self-defense, armed or not, and the basic fact that only enthusiasts care about swords back in Earth. She even went on to say I should try out in Lindblum's annual exclusive event.

It's hard not to think about joining in on it since almost everyone in town is talking about it. Zidane's excited about it for personal reasons, Freya wants to test her skill, and a lot of people want to prove themselves in it. Thinking about being part of the festivities like that with monsters roaming every corner in a contest of pride and ability is kinda nerve-wracking. Yet she's not wrong.

I'm not worried about that. It's just that I don't know if I should.

What I'm actually worried about is Blake. He's just been all over the place since we got here, acting up and being unnecessarily testy with me and Freya. I can believe that meeting people in the mood he is right now isn't really the best time. They probably just don't seem to mix together all that well if that first meeting's going to show something. I just hope he'll be fine and back to his kinda annoying and weird, normal self when things start picking up again.

An announcement by the aircab driver that we've arrived in the Industrial District gets my attention. A lot of workers shifting out were waiting at the platform patiently for those stepping out. I join those disembarking and step to the side, trying to get my outfit straightened out. There's a bunch of guys getting on the aircab passing a glance at me, causing me to sigh. It's not every day they see a girl with a hat and poncho straight out of a spaghetti western (that I'm okay with), a normal set of gloves, boots, and button-up shirt, but the short shorts and chaps were the eye pleasers (and the part of this outfit I can do without, thank you very much).

"If you like, maybe you can go to Endless Color for more variety in hunting outfits." I suggest to them, throwing in a wink as well- hoping it would be passable enough to please the Jenny in my head (curse her for making me wear this).

Ignoring the comments of the other men there, I left as the aircab started to drive it way out of the platform. My annoyance distracted me enough that I didn't notice this person wearing a white hood when I finished walking up the stairs, causing in a little collision that thankfully didn't end up in both of us on the floor. We were both apologizing at the same time that I didn't notice anything off about this person, but they did when they looked up at me.

"Alyssa?" A familiar tone of royalty came out of the hood. There were only two people I knew who were in line with royalty and one of them wasn't as small as this girl.

"Dagger?" Her pulling down her hood only confirmed my guess. We were happy to see each other out of the castle, but I couldn't help but wonder where her rusty bodyguard was.

"I hope you can keep this as our little secret. Steiner has been trying to relax and I know he can't relax when constantly keeps an eye on me. So I snuck out, as one might say." She explained her presence here in a bit of a whisper.

"Guess it was only a matter of time that he'd drive you crazy in that castle." I joked. "Also, props to consistency." I help straighten out her hood. We share a good chuckle for a bit before moving over to somewhere we can stand without blocking everyone's way.

I ask her how she's been during her stay in the Grand Castle. Dagger shared how good it was to be in the company of people she loves, how comforting it is to be around her uncles as busy as they are with the upcoming city-wide event. That was one of the reasons why she was out here today. She'd already taken a lot of their time, she believed so anyway, during the past week so now she is stepping aside for them to focus on the Lindblum and their various responsibilities.

Aside from that, I asked if she's had any notable experiences while we were here. There was a noticeable pause between us with a hint of a smile across of her lips. Can't help but think of that thief we both know. He was working his magic as usual, but Dagger was not the type to admit so she vaguely answered but specifically mentioned a desire to visit the Theatre District.

"Well I think you might have a hard time getting in the theater itself since the city's most famous actor has fangirls always blocking the way." I said as leaned on the wall to get in the shade the wall offered and away from the sun's brightness.

"Darn. I would have enjoyed experiencing what a play in development looks like from the inside." She huffed as she joined me in the shade, leaning on her arms and hands against her back.

"I'm sure if you say that you're the princess of Alexandria they'd instantly part like the Red Sea and present the way."

"What do you mean by 'part like the Red Sea'?" Her head tilted to her right when she asked me. I slap myself mentally when I realized what I had said.

"Sorry! Figure of speech!" I waved the question off, trying to get past it as fast as I can. "I mean disperse! Unblock the way, um, step aside, you know." Thinking about it, Red Sea was kinda appropriate with all the fangirls being there. God now that's a dumb mistake and an even dumber joke!

The princess nodded once I was done explaining in a panic. "It shouldn't be necessary for me to use my title like that. I, for one, loathe the use of rank and title as an advantage."

Well that's something I can admire in her. Something else I can admire her for is her knowledge of plays. I haven't really went out of my way to see one, but a friend of mine took me to LES MISERABLE once a year ago in the summer. It was awesome. Dagger listed a lot of plays she has seen like _Sins of The Father, The Devil's Tears in Purgatory, Long Lost Sailor, Road to Nowhere, A Duelist's Fire, and The Lawful, The Chaotic, and The Hideous_ were the ones I manage to catch, but let me tell you her list is way too long for someone her age.

"That's sure a lot..." I commented. Thank God she wasn't interested in novels. If she liked novels as much as she did plays then we might be here all day sharing stories about them.

"Majority of the plays I have seen are tragic. Doomed love, forbidden romances, and the like often appear to be major themes in them. I do, however, like to see ones where love triumphs all, where the heroes rise to the occasion and ends on a happy note.

"Don't we all in general." I say, nodding in agreement. There's always an audience who loves to see that kind of stuff. Ending with happy endings seem to resonate with audiences faster than the tragic ones.

"I wish I could say the same for my country." She hangs her head as I hear this from her. "All I can hope all is well with mother."

"Hey, things'll work out. They always do." I tried to assure her, but that wasn't true at all. Still, I offered a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her it will be alright. But would it…?

_"We're in a dangerous world right now and we know what's going to happen to it."_

I understand that. All I know is that everything is still on course to get worse and honestly telling her that wouldn't cheer her up, yet there's still something I can do about it. 'Can' and 'will' are two different things though. And if I even think about it there's this thought that guiding them by using what we know or changing parts of the story will have unpredictable changes, that it might render our efforts to naught.

_"Don't you understand? There are consequences, big and possibly fatal consequences, if we try to play hero out there."_

It wouldn't be 'playing' hero if there are actual lives on the line. We might not belong to this world, but their lives still matter to someone here and that's enough for me to know that they all matter. Sure it's reckless to depend on the change we cause, but didn't we used to live in a world where the future's uncertain. There are a lot of people out there who would still think of the same things I do and also want to change things for the better. We only fear change because of the future we'll no longer see what's ahead of us.

_"Those are_ mistakes _…I don't plan on making more."_

Change involves risk and playing that risk means we understand the result of our actions. Blake argued that we're only alive because of what we know, that once that's gone we're gonna be easy pickings. I don't want to believe that.

"Dagger," I finally speak. "If you had the power to make things better, even if it's just a little bit, would you do it?"

She looks up at me with curious surprise. Once the question sinks in she nods, that resolve I saw in Freya also rang through her voice. "Absolutely. I am hopeful for bright future like most people. But the journey there would perhaps prove perilous."

"Nothing's always easy." I agreed.

"What made you ask that?"

I shrugged and tried to smile. "Just a hypothetical question." I pause for a second to bask in the bright sunlight of the day. "If you're wondering what my answer is to that, if it's the right thing to do, I'll do it too."

Blake may believe that lending our knowledge would be a major risk, but that's a risk I'm willing to take. Well if we come and find out that it was a mistake then I'll accept it. I knew the risks and I still went through with it because I believed it's a right thing to do. Besides, waiting for a way to bring us back home isn't really doing us any favors. Maybe changing things up would give provide us some opportunities to find out how and why we're here.

I guess the only thing I need to figure out is how to do this without giving myself away. I'm not ready to reveal where I'm really from just yet.

"You know, there's someone there I know and I might be able to help getting you in and see what a play in the works looks like." I nudge her a bit, remembering that this girl likes plays while trying to lighten up the mood.

She did lighten up, but became hesitant a second later. "I hope that is not Zidane you are talking about." I shake my head with a smile.

"Nah. It's someone you wouldn't expect."

I was about to take her to the Theatre District so we can speak with this guy I was hinting at, but I stopped when I saw that very person walking up the stairs from the aircab platform. He looked down on his sling and spoke to the black-feathered chocobo in his sling before walking off to who-knows-where.

"Was that Blake?" I hear Dagger ask by my shoulder. I nod and prompts her to ask another question. "Why is he here?"

"Let's find out then." I tell the princess, waiting for Blake to get deeper into the street past the plaza, but not enough to lose him, before getting on his trail.

He entered a street that had a lot of factory buildings set side by side with each other. I didn't bother looking at what kind of factory they were or what they were making since I kept my eyes glued on the injured teenager who is supposedly working at the theater right now. Maybe it was his break time? If that's the case then why is he out here? I'm sure there are better places to spend 20 minutes of free time in.

It looked like he reached his destination when he stopped by a door on the left side of the street. Said door was part of a factory, details on what kind was scarce since Dagger and I hid in an alley to keep an eye on Blake but didn't have a view into the building. The person who answered the door was massive and he looked down on my friend with a scowl. Blake reached into his pocket and handed something to him, which made the doorman's face lighten up with his eyebrows still knitted together before he closed the door.

The black-haired 'salesman' looked around the crowd behind him, then left and right, as if to make sure he wasn't being followed. Is he taking part in espionage? Sure he was a bit paranoid when he moved out of the castle, but this was a kinda too much. Plus, how did this fit in with his work anyway?

My questions seemed to pile on when the same doorman came back out and this time handed Blake a bag. A big one at that. He tried to open it in one hand, only to struggle with it and had to put it down to examine the contents. That was when Nero became like a kid in a grocery store as he jumped down from the sling, landed on the bag, and ran past the doorman's legs. Blake panicked and immediately went after his beloved pet, much to the chagrin of the burly man who made chased after the two inside.

"Any clue or guesses what that was about?" I turn to Dagger, who was already pondering possible reasons in her mind.

"Perhaps he was making another customer for his profession." She suggested. "He did mention this is hometown, then it would be right to assume that he is merely making an honest day's work." Something felt like this was not part of his 'honest day's work', but if he's going this far to sell his backstory then kudos to him.

Whatever he was doing here, it didn't feel right. Dagger was the one who suggested to catch him where he was working to surprise him, an idea she got from one of the plays she'd seen before, one that she said focused on a mystery. I'd be stupid to not take her up on her idea, so I suggested to take the next aircab to the Theatre District, sidestepping some of her questions on how I knew he'd be there by saying he's been around there constantly for the past few days.

We only waited for a few minutes until Blake arrived there, only a full aircab ride separating our time of arrival between us. He bowed courteously to Dagger when he spotted us. Aw, no special greeting for me? Surprisingly, he didn't have that mystery bag he had earlier, only that item satchel hanging off his shoulder.

"Where you'd been? We've been looking all over for you!" I asked as I waved for him to come closer.

"Lunch break," was his simple excuse. Could be true, but he sure wasn't spending that time eating.

"And where did you go to eat for your break?" It was Dagger's turn to question him.

He quirked an eyebrow at the both of us but couldn't help grin. "There is this small family place by the station in the Residential District. 'Right on Track' was the name of the place. Pretty quaint, affordable, and delectable. You should try it sometime when you're not hiding out in the Grand Castle. Heard the guy in charge was Alexandrian until he married. He might like a visit from the princess one of these days."

I could see Dagger trying to discern what could be lies from his statement, but this is Blake. He covers his tracks like his backstories, makes sure that no one would ask any more questions about them. It was clear we weren't getting anything out of him, as clear as his belief in change. What he wants is what he gets.

The sling-wearing teenager then changed tracks by suggesting he show Dagger around in the theater, obviously trying to steer her attention away from the important questions. She looked at me, hoping I'd have any more ideas to get him to spill the beans. Again, he's tight-lipped until he wants to be, so I just shrug and basically tell her to have fun with a nod.

He might think he's in charge of this whole 'being from a different reality/dimension' and doesn't take suggestions from anyone else involved (and I'm the only one involved with him in this), but not this time. It's time to share the responsibility and I want to make life better here in Gaia. This is bigger than just us

Figuring out how to do that may need some thinking.

I hear someone whistling a tune around me and notice this little girl skipping over to this cylindrical shape in the corner. She opens is and drops this letter in it.

Lightbulb!

\- FF FF FF -

The day has finally come.

I examined the light-colored envelope in my hands, huge capital letters spelling out 'URGENT' on the back side, making sure that it's sealed properly so the letter inside wouldn't drop out and get whisked away by the wind. After pouring out my thoughts in one sheet of paper and trying to get all the important details down and then condensing all of them in an easily understandable explanation and lastly making sure it didn't give me away, I finally have this to help Lindblum and possibly Burmecia as well. I literally burned through a candle getting this done the other night and I had to read it the morning after to make sure it made sense.

Once I was done inspecting it, I reminded myself to find a good place for this letter as I gently put it in my satchel and walked into the Grand Castle.

The day I got the idea on how to do this was also the same day I decided to enter the Festival of the Hunt. I think it was the adrenaline after convincing myself how to get this letter out that got me brave enough to put my name into this annual competition. I don't really have anything to prove in this event, but I'm in it to prepare for the fighting that's soon to come afterwards. Not really aiming to win, doing well on the other hand is a goal.

Not dying is also a big goal. Don't want that to happen, especially when we're still so close to the beginning of the game's story.

One of the guards direct me to one of the castle's conference rooms where the rest of the participants were waiting with their plus ones encouraging them and pumping them up. A few of them near the door looked at me, scanning me for a second as if trying to gauge if I'd be a threat. Don't worry guys, just a casual entry!

To the right was Vivi talking with Dagger and Steiner. The princess of Alexandria was observing the room with concern, probably not hard for her since these people would be putting themselves in danger to bolster their pride and win their named prize. Steiner, on the other hand, was keeping idle conversation with the black mage beside him, who was wondering where a specific blond thief was.

I walk over to them while the air is filled with various conversations from the others.

"Man, I can't wait to get out there and kill monsters!"

"I must focus…"

"Here's hoping I don't choke unlike last year."

"Here's to another victory this year."

"Where's Zidane?"

"Please princess, you might actually enjoy it."

"...Okay."

There was quite the number of people in here for the Festival as they either tried to pass the time. Some of them were visibly shaking in anxiousness or they were pacing to keep their nerves in check or they were being silent and observing their competition, just like what Freya the Dragon Knight was doing in her side of the room. Most of the people here I saw while I toured the town in the behalf of Endless Color, busily preparing their things and making sure they had everything they needed.

"Hey Vivi," I greeted the black mage. He looked up to me and greeted me back, happy to see someone me. "You excited for the Festival?"

Vivi nodded, having to adjust his hat after doing so. "Yeah. I can't wait to see the animals!" well that answers the question if he's figured it out already. I guess I'll be the one to do so.

"Well, about that..." I was just about to tell him when the doors opened to reveal Zidane entering the room. The eyes of his fellow competitors fell on him momentarily at that particular moment, slightly interested, which his only reaction was to smile to himself, before they went back to doing their own thing. He eventually spotted us and made his towards us.

"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late." Zidane said. I could see Zidane and Dagger share a silent moment of eye contact with each. I bet he's still thinking of that airship cruise he promised Dagger and the fun they'd have. He grinned when his eyes turned to me. He barely looked surprised at my presence, probably expecting me all along to come. "See. I knew you'd come," he said with his hands on his hips along with a smile on his face.

"Freya got me to enter. She has her way with words. Besides, you were gonna enter me anyway!" Yeah, he was there when I entered for the Festival and was actually thinking about putting two other names there, the first one being mine, without our permission. Good thing I resolved to be part of it.

He rubbed the back of his head, Dagger giving him a sharp look. "Nah, what are you talking about? I wouldn't do such a thing. Anyway, you'll do great in there. You might even win if you focus."

"That's pretty optimistic of you." I've thought about it and the chances of me winning is pretty much the same as me winning the lottery. That needs a whole lot of luck, which is why I'm not thinking about winning.

Someone outside our little circle of conversation joined in when I felt someone walk up beside Zidane and I. "You sure took your time getting here." It's kinda hard to see who she was looking at with her white hair and part of her hat blocking my view of her eyes so I really couldn't tell.

"At least I'm here, aren't I?" Zidane grinned at the knight. Freya turned her head to me and Vivi, an actual sign of her looking at me. We exchanged nods before Zidane put his arm over Freya's shoulders, directing her attention to the two Alexandrians with us. "Oh yeah, you might've heard of these two."

"Yes, Princess Garnet till Alexandros XVII. Pleasure to finally meet you." She bowed to each of them while keeping her tone soft so the people around us wouldn't hear, while the two appreciated the gesture, despite Steiner keeping a glare at Zidane. "Captain Steiner, on the other hand, I've met during a little incident in the Residential District a few days ago."

Zidane was surprised to hear that, but shrugged it off a few seconds later after Steiner explained what happened.

You get that feeling that you want to cut the waiting time already and just get to do it? Yeah, well that's starting to get to me that I started hopping from one foot to the other to avoid thinking and just keep an empty mind. Just fight monsters, prepare for any actual fighting after this, and survive. Points aren't important, but it'd be nice to keep score just to see how I'd do.

"Nervous?" Freya was observing me, yet I couldn't help but nod. "Don't worry. By the time you start fighting the monsters, you will be running on adrenaline and all your worries will disappear. But do be careful. There have been casualties in this festival before." She advised.

"Gotcha. I'll take that to heart."

I felt someone nudging me by the shoulder and heard Zidane whisper, "Don't let her scare you. You'll do fine."

"It must have been irritating travelling with this guy and his constant harassment." I'm guessing she's talking about Zidane's penchant for hitting on girls.

"So far it's been subtle," I answered with a smile. But now that she's said it, Zidane's probably gonna go to the next level of flirting when Dagger's not around. I wonder how he manages to keep it in his pants through all of his adventures.

"I'll give you all support when I watch the entire thing," Dagger said, looking at me, Zidane and Vivi a determined look.

"Good luck, Master Vivi," Steiner bowed to the young black mage as he said this.

"Uh, thanks..?" Vivi managed to say, still a bit uncertain with the knight's worship of him and his power.

The door opened once again to welcome the other arriving participants. I would've finally told Vivi about the truth about the Festival when the new entrants caught my attention. There were two of them, an older man with a talkative guy walking beside him as they took a spot on the far left in the back.

First off, it looked like the older man didn't mind the ongoing one-sided conversation happening to his side, his straight, white hair reflecting his patience. A dull silver coat covered his body from the neck down to the toe with dark gloves and boots dressing his hands and feet. The way he walked made it seem like he was hovering off the air because of how he took each step. His eyes never left the floor as his head was tilted a bit to the ground, but despite that he moved like he's seeing perfectly. Something about him was familiar though.

I immediately noticed something about the second person. The man beside him had this confident grin on his face that didn't look too cocky but had this loose air about him. His hair is extremely dark and probably long without the tied ponytail behind his head. That wasn't it. I realized it when my eyes caught his attire. His jacket had the weird designs, the maroon color theme. From an angle, his boots had the striking dark green camouflage on them.

It was MJM from Dali!

The smell of chloroform and the unwelcome darkness of the underground facility in Dali came back into mind along with the image of Maroon Jacket Man. I don't know if this is the same guy or not, but I haven't seen boots of the same color since that day. Though I'm not sure if the same of kind of footwear is hard to come by or not. But this sense of familiarity that's sticking out of my mind is sending very bad vibes to my core.

"My, you look like you've seen a ghost."

And the surprises just keep on coming. We all turned to the source of the familiar voice.

"BLAKE!?"

Standing before us is the injured 'travelling salesman' with his splint, and black-feathered chocobo in his sling. But he wasn't dressed normally. Strapped over his button-up shirt was a metal chest piece while his left arm and legs were dressed in simple armor as well.

Please no more surprises...


	22. The Part Where The Points Do Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunters gather in Lindblum once year just for this event. How will Blake and Alyssa fare?

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 21: The Part Where The Points Do Matter

-Blake-

Today is the day where the blood of monsters will run in the great city of Lindblum, loud cheers will fill the air, and eventually a victor will be named to crown this year’s ultimate hunter. Unfortunately, I already hate the first two of the three things I mentioned, especially at the current time of day.

I am currently sitting in an aircab headed for the Lindblum Castle along with some overly excited fans of the event, who I heard they will be watching and cheering for last year’s winner because they would not shut up about it. Good thing I sat alone in my seat with Nero in my arm so that it’d not fly off when the aircab would curve around a turn. I didn’t mind its occasional kwehs since I’ve been taking care of it for days now. That wasn’t hard, but trying to get comfortable in the armor I’m in was another story. Good thing they were cheap.

Going back to what I said earlier, I am obviously not looking forward competing in the Festival of the Hunt. I’ve done the math (obvious lie there) and every single time it would end horrendously for me unless if there’s some sort of wild card that appears completely out of nowhere to possibly save me.

And despite all that negative thinking, as I walk through the castle doors after exiting the aircab alongside a guard escorting me since I told him I’m competing, I am here with my intention of winning the Festival clear in my head. Let’s get this straight once and for all. In the real world, I would not have a chance of winning any physical event in the condition I am today. I have useless arm, I can barely compete when it comes to physical aspects of a competition even if I had a good arm, and that I don’t usually participate in anything. All of that results in clear defeat for me.

But this is because of that enigmatic woman who wouldn’t give a straight answer. Impress the world, the crystal? All crazy talk. No one even knows if there’s an actual crystal out there so why think that it’s possible. Unfortunately, that’s all I have going for me and upon a lot of thinking, almost an entire night’s worth of internal debate, this is the closest I can think of possibly fulfilling that criteria as soon as possible. It’s a longshot, but one I hope I can make with all the planning I made through the past few days.

I stopped a few feet short of the door as the guard readied to open it. I calmed my anxious heart by giving out a breath before putting Nero down on the ground.

“You ready?” I asked my dark feathered pet, and then realized I was taking to a chocobo who could not speak English. I need to remember that little tidbit. “Here it goes then.”

Walking through the opened doors made me more nervous about my whole plan. I don’t need to be nervous. I have everything under control. Everything’s planned out. All I need is to get in, simple as that. Just focus.

Oh hey, I can see Vivi, Alyssa, Zidane, Steiner and Dagger. And Freya’s already over there making small talk. I wonder what they are talking about. As I was making my way to them, I noticed Alyssa staring at someone from the side of the room, but I didn’t see who it was as a group of wannabe hunters gathered around the person. It’s either accidental or on purpose, yet I did not care. Guess I should make my presence known.

“My, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” I commented as I walked over. The sound of my voice is immediately recognized, only not in a good way.

“BLAKE!?”

…It looks like I am unwanted around these parts. That could be the case or they just didn’t expect me to arrive looking like this. I really shouldn’t be surprised though. No one in their right mind would enter themselves in competition with the level of danger such as this, but I have my own reasons. Reasons these guys should not know.

Though I have yet to tell Alyssa of the multiple reasons I have why I am here. I should work that in a casual conversation if I happen to meet her during the Festival. Speaking of that girl, right now she looks like she’s seen a ghost.

“Good morning, fellow hunters!” I said once my appearance has sunk in. Nero chimed inform my sling with ‘kweh’ of his own.

They all looked at each other and then back at me. What? Did I say something wrong? I’m pretty sure someone here has something to address. Vivi was the first to say something in regards to my arrival. “Hey Blake, are you here for the Festival?”

“Why, of course I am, Vivi.” I replied, adjusting my burned tie for a much more comfortable placement. “Isn’t that why we’re all here?”

“Aren’t you supposed to stay away from this type of event?” The question was made by Freya. What look she’s giving me, I wouldn’t know because of her hat and hair blocking it. “Should you be even here with an injury like that? That would make you an easy target for the monsters to pick off.”

“First off, my injury is _my_ business. Second, those things we’re hunting out there are called _monsters_ for a reason. They only have instinct, not brains. And third, I’m prepared.” I could faintly hear her hum to herself after what I had said. She probably did not like it because she turned around and went to where she left her weapon.

I looked at the others around me and I got this feeling that they did not like what I said. Especially Alyssa, because she just looked at me with confusion. “Wha-What? What are you even doing here?”

“I think I already answered that question,” I looked around the group of participants who were waiting for the same announcement all of us were waiting for before turning back to her. “I’m doing what all of you are doing, which is waiting for the Festival to start.” I gave Alyssa a quick look and then leaned slightly towards her. “You‘re kinda tense. Is there a problem?”

“Blake, I think what Alyssa is trying to say is that you should not be here,” Dagger said. Zidane stepped in to support her royal highness.

“Yeah, shouldn’t you be lying down and resting your wrist?” Zidane inquired, pointing to the splint and sling.

“You still don’t look so good,” Vivi observed. That must be because I’ve been pacing myself last night in cold sweat after making preparations; almost tired myself out of worry.

“It’s only been, what, a week? You shouldn’t be even up and about that much after what happened,” Zidane added.

Finally, someone addressed the gigantic, airship-sized elephant in the room! Didn’t know when someone would bring that up. I merely shrugged at them. “I don’t think there is a rule about barring the recently injured folk entry into the Festival. If there was I didn’t get the memo.”

I honestly had no go-to excuse for that one. I tried thinking up of a few lies, but they got extremely convoluted with various reasons that I saw as very unnecessary. It was like I had rehearsed three lies with five layers of complicated deception. I eventually realized that I didn’t need to do that, especially when I figured that I should go the ‘handicapped are capable too’ route. That’s much easier, less layers to worry about.

“In all honesty, you should not be even worrying about little old me. It’s not like I’m going to be someone you should worry about with all the monster killing you guys are going to be doing,” I remarked, waving off their worries like it was no big deal. It actually is, but don’t let them know that. “Besides, I’ve had worse injuries than this.”

“In case you didn’t know, Blake, there’s going to be numerous monsters outside waiting to tear us hunters limb from limb, and you‘re still okay with that?” I nodded at Alyssa’s words a moment after she told me this, making her more confused.

That very scenario has run through my head a number of times as I mentally prepared myself for this. Just the possibility of dying out there terrifies me, but if I don’t go out there and try to win this would mean I would have to stay in Gaia longer than I want. I want to be out of here as soon as possible, and this is my ticket out. You do not know how much thinking I spent trying to convince myself that this is a bad idea. A lot, just so you know. It basically is a VERY bad idea, yet here I am. I so want to be out of here in a snap so bad that this whole ‘being in a game’ has been Hell for me if you don’t know. I think I’ve said that a lot recently.

“I guess that’s my problem then,” I reply to her, trying to look confident. “Are you actually worried about my own wellbeing or are you actually thinking I’ll only get in the way? You guys should instead be excited that I am up and about.”

It seemed to the others like what they were saying to me is not coming across as an important message. The brunette frowned at me as if I said something she didn’t agree on. “Of course I’m worried about your wellbeing! You might get hurt!” Chances are high that I will get hurt, but maybe you can up your hero game and be there when I need help. If someone were to tell me that a one-handed man cannot kill enough monsters, get enough points, and beat the other able-bodied hunters in a contest I would have agreed with them. It is absolutely impossible.

Well that is if you are not prepared. That’s because I am.

I spent the days leading up to the Festival of the Hunt preparing for it like reading books, researching about the monsters they were letting loose, buying items necessary for survival, checking if my current weapon is up to par for the job. If Zidane can handle numerous monsters with two daggers, why can’t I? Every single moment in those couple of days was used so I can be ready specifically for this event.

So new weapons, a handful of armor, and some research and I’m all fully prepared for anything. Well…aside from the other stuff I have in my sleeves.

Now let’s just hope everything goes according to plan. There are a lot of extraneous variables walking around this very room for everything to work out as they should. I know I don’t control everything here. Circumstances will change some parts of my plan, but things should go smoothly. If not, well worst case scenario…let’s not think about that.

“You’re clearly not listening.” I blinked. I see Alyssa standing before me with her hands on her hips, her face looking a bit aggravated. Was she talking while I went over that bit? “Of course I was!”

“What?” I blankly said.

“Come over here.” She grabbed me by the tie and dragged me to an area of the room that had fewer hunters so we had some privacy as Nero followed closely. When she let go of me, after I told her that she was choking me, she finally said something after taking a breath.

“Something’s up here. I know that you’re smarter than you look, but this is something that you should’ve thought twice about.” She emphasized that point by putting her finger into my chest twice. “And after what happened with the third Black Waltz I could’ve sworn you would’ve stayed fifty feet away from a battle. If that’s the case, why are you here? Why do you want to participate in something you know you can’t do!?”

I looked at her and tried to think. I’ve been meaning to inform of her this for a while now. But Meguro told me that I should not let anyone know that I have been talking to her, yet this is important. I just cannot let Alyssa know incomplete details.

_"The reason why I suggested, not outright expressed a desire to keep our meetings a secret, is because this will surely attract unwanted attention."_

You know what? The hell with her! Meguro has been playing me and I’d like her to actually prove something for once. Maybe I can have some liberty when it comes to trading information with someone I’ve been traveling with. She’s not going to know much anyway. What’s she going to do, appear behind me and tell me that I went back on my word? There was never even a word! We never agreed to it anyway.

“Alright, you want to know?” I asked the girl. She eagerly nodded. “Well then let’s just say this our way out.”

Alyssa’s eyebrows would have crossed the space between them twice if she could. “What?”

I lower my voice in case the others were listening in. This is vital information for those who only need to know. “All I need is to get the most points and prove to this world that I can accomplish something for once. No more games and no more adventuring. If I win, we get to go home. Maybe we can team up out there and help each other out.” I nudge her just a bit to make my offer obvious. I could see her struggle with words in accepting my offer, but it’s still way too early. She can just answer when we meet up. “Don’t worry about me. All we need to worry about is the Festival’s monstrous main event.”

“But…how? Why?” She looks at me, at my sling, and back to my face. One of her hands reach out and touch my forehead. “You’re not sick, are you? Have you been taking those painkillers in moderation like how Dr. Thomas said?”

I pull her hand away from my face, a bit annoyed with all the questions. “I’m fine! You shouldn’t worry about this little ‘accessory’, you know. I can handle myself.”

“Did you even hear a word I just said? It’s not safe for you if you take part in this!” She was leaning towards me, a glare drilling a hole between my eyes. The way she looked at me irritated me.

It reminded me of how my sister would always talk to me. You know, that’s one thing I’m glad I’m here. I don’t have to hear my sister and her stupid ramblings that always get me nothing but a severe headache, especially if it’s about me. So I glared back at Alyssa.

“You know what, how about you? Why are _you_ even here?” I said. “You’re only as good as me. Sure you can swing a sword and you had a lucky break on Steiner and your limbs are all okay, but that does not mean you should put yourself in a deadly competition. Do you even have an actual reason why you’re here?”

“Of course I do! I’m here to prove something to myself, that I can handle fighting these monsters and improve my skills. And don’t tell me that I had a lucky break. _You_ should be telling yourself that.”

“Excuse me?”

“Things could’ve gotten worse for you in every part of this adventure, but you’re just lucky things ended up the way they have.”

“If I was lucky, this,” I raise my injured arm with an alarmed kweh going with it, “wouldn’t have happened to me. And seriously? Improve your skills?” Honestly, that sounds pathetic.

“I don’t have to tell you every single thing I have and want to do. My participation shouldn’t _change_ anything.” Oh, she’s throwing that back at me, eh? Just because she doesn’t understand everything has to be similar as to how it plays out in the game doesn’t mean she can cry foul when I’m trying to keep things in order. And what did she mean by that first part?

“Alright, everyone listen! We’re about to begin the Festival of the Hunt!” One of elite guards in the red armor stood in the middle of the room with his voice raised. Everyone in the room turned to face him and get near in order to properly hear what is going to be said next. The brief commotion gave Alyssa an excuse to walk away. If she wants it that way then so be it.

As I was trying to get closer to the elite guard starting his introductions, I spot someone to the left side of the room. Standing against the wall with her hood down, Meguro was giving me this strange look. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was from the distance and the people between us, but there was something reminiscent of how my mom would look at me when she caught me eating half of the family’s leche flan. Then she started walking towards the door without a word.

Another appearance and another mystery to add to the ones piling up. Whatever, I can just sort that out later if she wants to talk it out.

The elite guard began explaining the rules concisely for everyone in the room. We had an hour and thirty minutes to kill as many monsters that are on the loose in the city with the bigger kill meaning we get more points. Once the allotted time has gone down to zero, the person with the most points win.

However, the methods of getting said points seemed to have changed, which made me really uncomfortable. We get points by killing the monsters and collecting tags. They would be conveniently located on the body of each monster, such as necks or legs, so that it’ll be easy to get them once they are dead. The person with the highest score will be awarded with their requested reward and will be crowned the ‘Master Hunter’. He also added that we can surrender and retire on our own volition, but we can also be forced to retire if we become too wounded.

“And those are the rules. Does anyone have any questions?” The hammer-wielding guard looked around the room to see if anyone needed clearing something up. When everything was clear the doors opened again with the right timing while the guard stepped aside.

Three guards waltzed inside the room; ones in blue this time, all the while Minister Artania graced us with his presence as the elite guard continued off. “Hunters, if there are no more questions, then proceed to any one of us so we can note what reward you will receive if you are victorious.”

Zidane approached first to the elite guard with Freya going to one of the blues to say their respective rewards while Alyssa came a bit prepared with hers: a powerful sword. Not too bad. I heard theirs and briefly contemplated what reward I wanted. I knew I was going to win this, so I did not want to go with very extravagant rewards. Though the idea of an airship, a statue to myself or a city district named after me popped into my mind, I declined to further think about it as I just went with a simple cash reward. I am a bit on the short end when it comes to finance anyways.

Then when almost everyone was done declaring their rewards, they asked if everyone was done. Zidane came up to the guards and whispered something to them, all the while trying to inconspicuously point at the black mage standing by the cabinet. The one in red nodded and walked over to him. “And you, Mr. Vivi? What would your reward be?”

It took a second for him to sink in before reacting with a, “WHAT!? I never signed up!”

This then was followed up by Zidane’s innocent bet that had a date with the princess of Alexandria on the line. Of course, with any mention of the princess came Steiner’s loud voice demanding to know what ex-Tantalus member had planned. I swear if Steiner’s voice had been louder the room would have shook. When they were off the hook, Vivi named his reward and the proceedings continued.

“Now for your district assignments!” Now with the rewards done, the guards then started going around with boxes in their hands. Apparently, we were to get a piece of paper inside in order to randomly pick where our starting points are. Basically like a lottery box, which reminds me of a few episodes of Dragon Ball Z when they pull out balls from a box to get their positions in the tournaments.

With another orderly go around for the guards, each of us took a piece and opened them up to reveal where we’re going. I overheard some of the placements for the people I know. Zidane had the Theatre District, Vivi had the Business District, and Freya got the Industrial District. That covers the three base locations. Alyssa had this mixed look of surprise and worry when she got the Noble District. Think of it like a gated community for rich people but bigger and with proper security. Both of us have yet to step into the Noble District and being assigned to an unknown place is going to be a great disadvantage. I may have not been there yet, but I have a back-up plan in case I do get assigned to such a place.

My paper got the Residential District. Okay, familiar territory. That’s great! Not as great as getting the Industrial or Business District, but it’s what I’m handed so I’ll just have to make do with it. The others probably can’t see it, but I am jumping for joy for something finally going my way. My luck is starting to turn, and luck is what I need right now.

The other hunters continued to get their initial placements until everyone has their own starting points. I’d already tuned out when I knew where anyone important was starting. What I did hear is that I am sharing a district with two other people, a girl and guy respectively. One of them looked wickedly armed with her two katanas and ready to kick butt and earn points, while the other looked like he walked out of the set of West Side Story with that obnoxious face of his and gelled up hair.

With all of the important matters dealt with, Minister Artania spoke up and the room went silent. “The annual Festival of the Hunt is now at hand. The best of luck to all of you hunters and huntresses, and may the better hunter or huntress win!” The competitors roared their excitement as the door opened, allowing the different contestants of the festival to exit and head to an aircab that would deliver them to their district assignments.

I stopped in my tracks, feeling that there was something I haven’t done yet, and felt a small nudge on my injured arm. Nero was nuzzling into my limb and that served to remind me of the thing I am forgetting. I quickly went back to the conference room and reached Dagger and Steiner just as they were leaving.

“Hey Dagger, can I ask a favor?” The princess’ eyebrow rose as I spoke. I pulled out a small pouch from my pocket and presented it to her. “Can you look after Nero for a while?”

“Nero?” Dagger repeated the name, not recognizing it. The chirps from the black feathered bird at my feet made her make the connection a second later. “Oh! I apologize. The name kind of threw me off.”

“Yeah, didn’t have an official name for him before we left the castle. Meet Nero, a growing chocobo who should not be with me in this competition.”

“The princess is not your personal lackey, you simple-minded merchant!” Steiner, once again, demonstrates his expertise at controlling the volume of his voice by raising it at me. And he got the job title wrong. It’s salesman, not merchant. Idiot. “I heard that!”

“It’s alright, Steiner.” Dagger put a hand on the captain’s armored shoulder briefly, making him step aside. “I will look after your chocobo.” She took into her hand the pouch I had. It only contained some Gyashl Pickles I still had on me. It keeps Nero alert if I wave it around.

I looked down at the chocobo for a second and point at him. “Don’t grief the princess, you rascal. I know how you get at this time in the morning.” I was lying. The thing barely does anything aside from kweh and bump into my leg if I’m not paying attention to it. It’s practically docile. I do wonder how it will act when it’s much bigger though. Would it hunt worms on its own and feed itself or would it be able to run faster than a human? And how long does it actually take to grow a few feet in height?

“Is that…dirt on its feathers?” I heard her ask. I had to inspect the bird for a moment, and I did see what she meant. There are patches of dirt varying in size on its side, beak and neck.

“Oh that? Don’t worry about that,” I waved it off. “I accidentally knocked over a pot in the inn earlier in my haste and it probably got caught in its feathers. I’ll clean it up later.”

Before anything else could be brought up, I gratefully thanked Dagger once again before bidding my farewell to the two Alexandria natives.

I arrived in front of the parked aircabs as it was loading up the various hunters. I saw Zidane trying to pander to the crowd as he made his way to the aircab that would take him to his destination. Vivi had already taken his seat inside his own. Alyssa had to be called to attention as she was too busy checking her belongings and had to immediately get onboard.

I, on the other hand, had managed to take my seat in the aircab heading to the Residential District. The other two I am with were doing their own respective things. The greaser reject was too busy putting on the moves on our female pilot, and when I say ‘moves’ I mean putting both of his feet into his mouth and taking pleasure from it. The other one minded her own business, though she was giving the other guy the stink eye for putting on such a display as if the very sight disgusted her. I would not put it against her if she wanted to murder the guy. I have seen enough of that kind of man at school and to be rid of one is enough for me.

One after the other, the aircabs started to leave the Lindblum Castle towards their as the crowd cheered, expecting an electric and competitive festival for this year. It’s as lively as a community waiting for a foreign celebrity set to arrive at the airport. Can’t say that I’m partially pumped with all of the energy out here, but that is only keeping down the anxiety of danger that’s pinging at the back of my brain.

The ride to the district was mostly silent, which was relieving since the other guy, whose name I will not try to know, just got the hint and stayed silent for the rest of the trip. The cab started to slow when the dock came into view. Right below that waiting station, just a staircase away from ground level, was our starting line just waiting to be crossed.

When the cab managed to get its full stop, the first one out was the 60s throwback, rushing past the doors with sword in hand followed by the woman.

I took my time getting out; looking at both sides of the station just to make sure no one else was there. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I made sure that my two fellow hunters were nowhere in sight before briskly heading over to an alley across the street. At the end of it was a box I had placed there yesterday.

It is my ace in the hole—well one of them anyway.

The contents of the box smelled rather gross. I had to close it up before the smell could penetrate my brain and force me to gag. Now I just need to set it up. I grinned to myself as I jogged to another location I had passed days ago that I am sure would work.

Let the games begin.

\- Alyssa -

While riding the aircab, my nerves for the event and anger from my talk with Blake was starting to calm down. That guy is really pushing it these days and it’s gonna get him in trouble soon. If this isn’t that day then I hope he learns his lesson tomorrow.

Still, I can’t help but shake the feeling that he’s not telling me everything. How in the world does winning the Festival of Hunt have the ability to get us back home? I know this is just a straight-forward event. No magic, no high stakes except for pride, honor, and tradition. It just doesn’t make any sense. Maybe if he would just stop being so pushy I’d understand what he’s thinking and why he’s doing what he’s doing.

Now I can’t help but feel sorry for his sister if he’s normally like this…

“Alright, Noble District! Time to get those monsters!”

The moment the aircab stopped and the doors opened, I walked out and tried to spot landmarks so I can tell where I am as the other hunters I rode with, who looked like they already knew the area, started hunting. I looked around, kinda intimidated by the tall and ornate buildings that belonged to the nobles, and memorized the area around me if in case I needed to switch districts.

Like seriously, when the game’s showing the cinematic of Lindblum, I’m sure most of the tall buildings in that scene belong in this district alone. It’s like whoever designed these buildings are trying to cover a complex of theirs or something.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Why not switch districts now? No one’s going to blame me for going somewhere familiar. Besides, I’ll be able to make sure Blake will be alright and safe. As irritating he gets, he’s still my friend and looking out for him while he’s injured is something he’ll appreciate. Switching districts will take time off. Not really a problem for me. Now to hop back on—

“Hey, wait!” The doors have already closed during my thinking time and it zoomed off, away from this district. I stood there looking at the aircab already so far away, thinking how long until another one gets here. Since my ride is nowhere to be seen now, I must as well do something productive and fight out there.

_*Gulp.*_ The Noble District. Haven’t been here before. Place looks super nice though, probably expensive to live here for my tastes. Bah, what am I doing? Don’t worry about this place and get out there! No more wasting time! I’ll just have to suck it up and try not to get lost like a child in a massive supermarket filled with monsters and no adults except for the ones watching up on the walls as if this is an exclusive pay-per-view event.

Before I could prepare myself to go search for a monster, one came to me by swooping down from the sky. A blue feathered bird squawked just before as it came down, alerting me of the enemy’s attack. I managed to jump to the side before it could scratch a part of me with its sharp talons.

The Trick Sparrow balanced itself on the air before turning back on me and tried attack again. But this time I can see you coming. I pulled out my sword from its sheath and prepared as it came at me. I dodged its attack with the same tactic and tried my own, but it proved too fast, using its size and agility to its advantage, as it zipped past me before my sword could come down on it.

It came around for another strike, this time circling around me instead of attacking, as I swung down on it, effectively flying away from my sword. It pecked me on the head (and pulled out some strands of my hair! What a jerk!) and shoulders a few times before I got it to fly away for a bit by swinging my weapon wildly.

That thing’s beak is freakin’ sharp! It could put an eye out! I don’t even want to know how sharp its talons are just judging from that.

Squawking another threat at me, it hovered in the air for a short while before coming at me again. I readjusted my grip on the hilt of my sword and readied myself. It zoomed in on me with its beak pointed at me while I held up my sword with both hands and steadied my stance.

Once it was in my range, I swung my sword, blunt side first, like a baseball bat and hit the Trick Sparrow square on the beak.

“Homerun!” I shouted the moment I hit it.

The blue bird hit the ground a few feet away from me. I could see its yellow beak bent from where I stood. I didn’t admire my work as I had to kill it to secure some points for myself, so I ran up to the monster and stabbed it deep enough to make it cry out before it went limp.

I may have killed a couple of monsters on my way here to Lindblum, but killing a monster all on your own feels different. You don’t have anyone to rely on except yourself, and if you get wounded you don’t have anyone to heal you. Gotta be careful. That Trick Sparrow may have just knocked against my skull, but the next time I may not be so lucky.

“At least I was only attacked by one,” I thought out loud to myself before plucking the tag from the bird’s talons. The tag was labeled with a single number. 4. Great! Now I have 4 points to my name!

The very moment I stood up, I heard another squawk followed by another. I looked up and saw three more of those pesky birds looking down at me and their fallen friend.

“Great…” None of them hesitated to dive down to me. I held my sword and readied myself for another battle.

-Blake-

“Lunch time…”

I crouched behind a family’s white picket fence with my eyes trained on the box lying at the center of the street, open and vulnerable to anything and anyone. This wasn’t the best place to hide at the moment, but it is close enough for this next part. Inside the box is a pack of raw meat, hence the awful stench that almost made me gag. I’ve put it on the street a minute ago for it to attract any monster as I waited.

And lo and behold it did. A single Fang emerged from an alley with its head angled as if it is trying to get a scent. Its head looked over to the box, making me grin more with every step it took towards it. The moment it had its nose in the box I drew out my dagger and started circling around it so it wouldn’t see me.

This is my plan. The rules only state that I need to kill the monsters and take their tags, right? Nothing in the mentioned rules state that I cannot bait the monsters into a vulnerable state so I can kill them without much effort. So with that in mind, I spent the past few days researching about the monsters. I had to borrow a lot of books from the library here in the Residential District and read up on Mus, Fangs, Trick Sparrows and the Zanghnol. I had to learn what I could use against them without actually fighting them whether it may be weaknesses or habitual behavior.

And the first thing I was able to come up with is use bait to draw out monsters. When it is distracted long enough, I swoop in for the kill.

…Which is what I am doing right now.

I tried my best to silently sneak up on it, but apparently the scent of the bait was not enough to ward off my presence as it attempted to turn its head back. Before it could see me I quickly dove at its back with dagger in hand, trying to land on it without having my injured arm in the way. My luck proved to be good enough as I managed to stab it in its grungy brown furred back.

It roared in pain and reared back, effectively pushing me off, but also making the wound bigger before my dagger slipped out. The look it gave me could only be interpreted as ‘I’m very pissed and I’m going to rip you apart right now’ as a trail of blood from his back started to drip down to the ground.

“Oh crap.” Fearing for my health, I scrambled up to my feet, took my dagger and backed up as fast as I can, just barely missing the Fang as it tried to dive at me.

Okay, there are some kinks that need working on in my plan. It is not perfect. There is time for improvement, though that needs to happen fast if I want to win this competition. I will try to efficiently do this plan right after I am done getting away from this Fang.

I ran as fast as I could down the street, zigzagging so the monster would not be able to pounce on me. I had to look back a few times just to make sure it was not getting any closer. I hopped over a bench just to add some distance between us, but it also gave me an idea. When I jumped over a fence belonging to some family’s lot, I turned around with dagger in hand, readying myself just before the monster could hop over it. Just as it got over it, I charged with my dagger and met it halfway with my weapon ripping through its side.

The Fang landed badly on the ground, not anticipating my move. I didn’t let it get back up as I jumped on it and stabbed it once again in the back and two times where its skull should be. When I felt it not move anymore, I sighed and got off it, sheathing my weapon as I looked over the now unmoving body.

I kicked it over to its side, the monster’s dark blood continuing to flow to the ground as I checked around for the tag. Just as I found it around its neck, I thought I saw the thing’s hind legs twitch. It made me pull out my dagger and stab it in the head once.

Is it dead? I implanted my weapon in its skull three more times, twisting it left and right for the last strike before pulling it out with its blood decorating my dagger. This time it would stay dead. I ripped the tag from its neck before stepping away from the body.

…Okay. I think that went well. The tag had the number 9 on it, meaning that I now had 9 points. That’s great and all, but 9 points is not going to bring me home. I need more.

Now I wonder if my bait has attracted some more monsters. I better check, and this time, properly sneak up on them if there is one.

-Alyssa-

_GWARRR!_

From across the street, past the elegant buildings came a roar. It’s either from a monster about to attack someone or one that’s dying.

I readied my sword and ran towards it, moving as fast as I can through the Noble District, thinking that someone may need assistance. Who knows if they’ve been outnumbered? This may be a competition, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t help out.

The moment I turn the corner, I expected someone in trouble. What I saw was actually an aftermath of a 3 on 1 assault. Blood was everywhere on the ground and the victor of the encounter was already stalking away, prowling the grounds for his next victim. The three in this equation were a pack of Fangs, currently corpses on the floor as their bodies continued to bleed out of their wounds. Their supposed victim was a man built like a tower with greenish skin with a fiery head of hair. His weapons worn around each hand, blades dressed with the blood of the Fangs.

Amarant.

Oh crap, I’m sharing a district with him!? If that’s the case then I didn’t notice him in the aircab. Must’ve not seen him with other things in my mind. Maybe he was one of the first people out of the cab when it got here? You really can’t ignore a guy that tall, especially with fiery red hair like his. He stands out in a crowd. That is if we’re talking about height here.

Seeing the man’s handiwork was intimidating. Let’s just stick to layman’s terms here and say that he basically skewered the Fangs with such efficiency that it might’ve not taken him any effort in doing so. If this were a movie, this would be rated-R.

Obviously the man ripped his tag points from these things and went on to kill some more. If I were a betting girl, I’d bet Amarant would be leaving a trail of dead monsters behind him and he would care less if it lead straight to him. That would just attract them to him, like sheep to the slaughterhouse, except the slaughterhouse is just a one-man wrecking crew and the sheep are really aggressive animals that could kill you.

I guess there’s nothing here for me anymore. I turned around and thought of switching to another district where Blake’s situated at. I’m sure I’ll be able to get a few more monsters on the way to the cab. That’ll get me more—

_THUD_

“Ah!” Something collided with my back so hard I fell to the ground, scratching my knees and arms. I looked behind me and saw a Mu standing there, blue and white fur and all with its massive furry tail waving behind it menacingly. It only took a moment for me to realize that I just wiped out from one swing of its tail. “Hey, that was a cheap shot!”

It didn’t care for my reaction as it threw a pebble at me, almost hitting me on my face if I didn’t turn away and use my hands as cover. I looked through the small cracks between my fingers to see if it was going to do it again, but it stood there, ready to fight.

“Oh you’re going to get it now.” I held my sword up and charged. The Mu jumped to the side and attempted to swing its tail at me again, fortunately for me it was big enough for me to see after I missed my attack, giving me an opportunity to dodge and counterattack. I cut its tail with one swing of my weapon and it fell to the ground with a soft thud.

The Mu cried loudly in pain, retreating into an alleyway before any more damage could be dealt. I gave chase to the oversized blue squirrel-fox hybrid, not wanting to let it get away. Thankfully the alley was a straight route to the opposite side of the street going through a block of high buildings. I could clearly see the Mu and its tail-less behind a few meters ahead of me.

“You’re not getting away that easily,” I said as I saw it turn out of the alley.

My chase abruptly stopped when I was faced with four Mus looking at me, counting the one I hurt, as we had this brief stare down before one of them started pelting me with rocks. The others quickly followed suit. I had to run back into the alley so I can take cover from those things.

Man can those things throw. I rubbed the sore spots on my arms, shoulders and face and it felt like I’m going to feel the bruises for the next few days. Those things are going to pay for that.

The first Mu to feel my wrath happened to come by when it peeked around the corner. I jumped away from my spot when it tried to bite my legs and then I retaliated by stabbing at it, hitting it in the side when it tried to dodge. Another one followed behind it, charging as its fellow Mus reloaded with stones as I took a peek around the corner. If that wasn’t bad enough, I could see a Fang looming at the other end of the alley. I don’t even know if it can see me from here, but it looks like it wants to walk over here.

“Great,” I sighed, “Got cornered.”

So now I have two choices: brave the pebble barrage by the Mus and take them down or I can take out the lone Fang that’s coming this way. Seems like an easy choice.

But before I could charge the Fang, I heard a Mu cry and saw one flying down the street, the very same one I cut. My curiosity got the best of me as I took a look at what was happening. My eyes widened when I saw a gauntlet armed with claws tear through one of the Mus as another was brutally kicked against the wall. The last Mu got cut in the face and was finished off effortlessly with a stab on its back. The person responsible for this is the same one whose handiwork I found just a few minutes ago.

The towering hunter grunted as he started to take the tags from the now dead Mus. Amarant passed me wordlessly as he grabbed the last one from the one he threw across the street before passing me again, this time looking down on me as he left, a look that made me gulp. I’d really hate to be one of the people who fights him. Thankfully Zidane is going to be the only guy who does that, and even that still is far away in time.

“Fang,” I heard the mercenary speak over his shoulder before he could get far.

“Eh?” The roar of an incoming Fang made my brain figure out what he meant. I was ready before it could jump at me, rolling to safety and then arming myself. “Thanks for the warning!” I called out to him, but the guy was already far enough to not hear me.

-Blake-

I looked down at the trap I had set and grinned after I killed the Mu that was ensnared by it. That’s another 9 points. I’m starting to get the hang of this. Not fast enough though if I am only at 27 points after forty-five minutes.

Now I was in a different district after I had gone through all of my bait in the Residential District and obtaining 17 points in just twenty-five minutes. Waiting in one spot while the monsters slowly got attracted to the meat got boring after the first five minutes, but I managed to stick through it. There were a few little complications though, such as being chased (again), being attacked by Trick Sparrows as I went in for the kill, and the occasional noise scaring off my prey before I got to take them out, yet I was able to score enough points as my first plan ran its course. Thankfully, I haven’t run into other hunters.

I immediately headed for the aircab with the Industrial District in mind as a destination to follow up with my other plans. This time I have a few traps lying around in secret locations like bear traps and animal cages with some bait to entice them to it. I had to set them up properly the moment I got there, which did not take long since I had a few hands-on previews from shops a few days before. That just makes it easier to kill them.

This approach is kind of appropriate since I am using industrial traps in the Industrial District. Honestly, that is just a huge coincidence.

Right now, this Mu is the third monster I put down after arriving in this district. It did not even see it coming as it cried in pain from the bear trap biting down its leg. The time left is around an hour and three minutes, which gives me ample time to move to another district after this and gain some more points before heading to the Business District for the grand finale. Perhaps I will just clear up my remaining traps and move on.

I see a pair of Fangs chase that greaser-look-a-like hunter down the street, looking a bit winded and somewhat struggling defending himself, after I put the trap inside the dumpster in the alley to avoid being seen with it. God knows what the result would be if that happens. I cannot dispose of the traps properly right now, so I hope nobody knows forensics in this reality because my fingerprints are all over that trap. That could give away my cheating ways.

Next up is the birdcage I have set up past one of the factories. It does look a bit out of place, but thankfully no one has noticed yet, except for the Trick Sparrow eating away the big worms I have placed inside. Bird seeds were initially my go-to bait for the bird monsters, only to read that Trick Sparrows were more into live bait.

You have no idea how much trouble I went to get a worm that big. I had to wake up early this morning and go outside the city and search near the walls after I got some info from the day before about finding some. I had to make Nero find me some and I had to dig it out with my hand. Let me tell you, digging with one hand and trying to put them in the leftover pouch that used to carry the Gyashl Pickles I had is one dirty business that I had to clean myself up. That is why I was a little late earlier.

That and I had to buy my pet another pouch of pickles to satiate its hunger. But that’s irrelevant.

There are some bodies of monsters strewn about, but no immediate threat in the area whatsoever. With nothing in my way, I hurry over so I can kill it and take my points.

“Goodnight, sweet prince,” I say as I approach it, dagger in hand, raising it to strike it down.

I heard a sound behind me like something cutting through the ground, surprising me enough to make me trip over my own feet. I hit the cage on my way down to the ground with my shoulder, startling the Trick Sparrow from its meal. It cawed and retreated into the air, leaving its snack as it now settled on my chest along with the fallen cage. As I groaned in pain, I could see a pair of feet in boots with heels walking towards me.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” A female voice spoke. Upon not recognizing this voice, I tilted my head to see who it is. Imagine the surprise and dread I felt when I found out who this was.

Her dark brown hair is decorated with a headdress of some sorts with a single green feather on it. She had a rather revealing outfit starting with an orange top that covered only her chest with yellow sleeves meeting at her neck and stopping before her elbows. Her hands wore black gloves each, probably to help maintain her grip on her gargantuan axe. Black shorts along with a reddish-orange duster that had trimmed fur completed her bottoms.

Lani, one of the mercenaries Queen Brahne hires in disc 2, stood before me with a frown on her face.

“Uh…” I started to say, trying to respond in a dignified manner, ignoring the worms on my clothes for a moment so I can focus on the dangerous woman in front of me. Hopefully she will not put two and two together and mention something else unrelated to the birdcage. “Hello, can I help you with something?”

“It looks like someone here is using some… helpful devices to get points,” she said, leaning on her implanted axe’s handle. Crap… She did the math…

“I found that there! I was just capitalizing on an opportunity, hoping the person who’s using it won’t come back.”

“Not only that, but I think I’ve seen a number of these things around the district. Isn’t that odd?” She gave me this raised eyebrow that made me think she has already figured it out.

“Whoever is using that cage might be charged with cheating and unsportsmanlike behavior.” She walked over to the fallen trap and inspected it for a moment. “Do you even know what they do to people who cheat in the Festival of the Hunt, do you?”

I shake my head. Please don’t say torture. I don’t want to be tortured. I’m too young to be tortured!

“I can assure you that they won’t torture you.” Thank goodness. “They just ban you from ever competing in the Festival again.” She put down the cage and went back to her weapon. “Though that is the only thing they let us know anyway. They might as well put them in a dungeon with monsters.”

“You don’t know that…”

“Of course I don’t. I haven’t the need to cheat. Have you?”

I gulped. I need to steer this conversation elsewhere. “Aren’t you Lani, the beautiful bounty hunter known around the continent?”

She chuckled to her herself when I said this. “Ah, I see my reputation precedes me! Good for you!” I blew a breath of relief. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean I can’t forget what a pathetic… worm of a hunter looks like. I’m sure the officials would reward me for spotting you and your tricks when this is over.”

“Come on, this isn’t what it looks like!”

She pulled her axe from the ground and put it on her back. “Save it for someone who cares,” she said over her shoulder as she started to leave. I need to make her change her mind! But what does a self-absorbed mercenary need to be convinced of something else? What…?

Aha! “Whatever the city rewards you obviously won’t be enough for you, especially for a person of your caliber. It’s probably going to be some measly sum of gil. Just that.” Those words made her stop in her tracks. Reel this in, Skylark. “Gil won’t be sufficient, right? What if I tell you that I have something else more than gil. Something worth more.”

“Keep talking.” She turned around with a curious expression.

“What if, for example, I give you riches beyond belief?”

Lani laughed for a moment before waving me off. “Don’t be ridiculous! You’re a crippled teenager. You can’t possibly have ‘riches beyond belief’. Do you take me for an idiot?”

Ignoring her statement, I continued trying to convince her of my nonexistent riches. “As a salesman who has traveled around the continents, I can assure you that my looks may be deceiving, but my words do not.” I removed my sling and used it to wipe away the worms on my clothes since I had nothing else for that very use. I’ll just put it away and wear it later and be careful in moving it around.

“Maybe I can convince you to trade. Something that belongs to me for your silence.” I continued. “I have amassed quite a pile of wealth. Maybe you want rich jewels, statues, silver, gold, some other mineral worth a lot of money? Or maybe,” I point to her large weapon, “You want something you can use? I have that. Impenetrable armor or the most dangerous weapon? I have those.”

I walk over to her and pretended to inspect her axe for a moment. “I guess I have something that will be a more fitting weapon for a bounty hunter that should be feared and revered. You know, I have this diamond axe that is much like this size. A client from Treno, who collects weapons and customizes them, gave it to me. Perhaps you’d like that? Diamonds are forever, and forever is followed by a legacy. Do you want to be a beautiful diamond that lasts forever in the minds of everyone? What do you say?”

The bounty hunter kept looking at me, reserving her voice for a minute as she thought over what I said. Just waiting for her to respond is nerve-wracking. My knees are shaking at the anticipation. I need to win this game, so if I have to lie to a dangerous woman who could kill me in one effortless swing of her axe, then so be it. I. NEED. THIS.

She looked to me and finally gave me her answer. “No deal.”

I could feel my face lose color. “Wh-What? But how—“

She brandished her weapon again, twirling it around easily over her head before slamming it back on the ground, effectively shutting me up. “You really take me for an idiot. However, I do commend the confidence there.”

One of my feet step back on instinct. I know I couldn’t take her on a straight-on fight, but fleeing is probably the best course of action I have right now since there’s no convincing her. Or perhaps I can run around until she loses sight of me and then ambush her when she does not see me coming. But by then, she might have reported me to a tournament official. Damn it, things are falling apart and I can’t think of a way to fix it!

“But you know what, I’m gonna give you a chance.” Her lips raised into a sly grin. What she means by that, I don’t know. “You got your uses since you’re not dead yet. So here’s my offer: you give me all the points you have and ‘ll stay silent and let you go free.”

What!? What the—I need—But I—I cannot—UGH!

Fighting her is going to end badly for me. Arguing will certainly not end well. She’s already stated her terms and I doubt she’ll consider a counter-offer. I gave her the fiercest glare I could ever muster and finally answered. “Fine.” I say through gritted teeth. “You have a deal.”

A grin formed on the dark haired beauty’s face. “Excellent!” One of her hands reach forward with an open palm. Now hand them over.” She was demanding it more than simply asking for it.

I frowned at her hand, but I realized that arguing with her is not the wisest of ideas. “Maybe later?” I am not giving you my points. Not by a longshot.

She shrugged and let the hand hold on to her axe once more. Guess she’s content with having me hold on to my points for now. “Oh and one more thing…”

“What is it—eep!” I was about to groan when I felt the sharp blade of her weapon right underneath my chin.

“If you try anything funny, I’ll make sure you’ll only have two usable limbs.” Her eyes had this glint of truth in them, making me unconsciously hold my good arm. Or is she talking about one of my legs…? “You will follow me from now on so I’m sure you won’t run off and hide. Am I understood?” I nod my head cautiously so I don’t cut myself on her axe. She eventually withdrew her weapon from my neck before walking off. “Come on! I have a Festival to win!” She called over her shoulder.

I sigh. “What have I gotten myself into?”

-Alyssa-

I’ve finally moved on to another district. The Theatre District, to be exact. No more five-story tall mansions and bright-as-gold sidewalk; just a good classical environment and a source of entertainment in a normal day. If only this was a normal day.

But I think I picked the wrong district for some reason.

An ear-piercing roar rumbled in the streets as I tried to run away from the source. I took a moment to take a glimpse over my shoulder, and sure enough, it was still there chasing me. An orange animal big enough to overshadow and intimidate any normal individual, two protruding horns on its chins that can be used to impale its victims on one heave along with the other four horns on its head, fours hooves for each muscled leg impacting against the ground as it ran, and a Mohawk-styled like patch of fur on its back going against the wind.

I jumped over a stand that was probably used to promote the plays that are set to take the theater by storm, but the Zaghnol easily destroyed it in one barreling charge. Wooden planks and posters of actors, actresses and the informational promotion for the plays were into the wind and lay scattered on the floor. I’m sure that the owner was watching and distraught with their broken stand.

“Sorry!” I shout, hoping the owner heard it.

How did I manage to get the Zaghnol on my tail? I was just minding my own business, chasing this flock of Trick Sparrows the moment I stepped off the cab for more points. I got one of them down, which got me some sweet 7 points, but I wanted more. Only that proved to be a mistake as the other two apparently led me to where the Zaghnol was chilling and having its territory challenged by a duo of Fangs. It was a short argument though, easily the best fifteen seconds of a monster fight I’ve ever seen.

But the moment it did not have any more to fight, still wanting to shed more blood whether it may be red or green, it looked at me and thought, _“Hey, why not squash this human too for looking at me funny?”_ Then it charged at me.

And now I am running. And I have for three minutes now. I don’t think the Zaghnol has any plans on stopping soon. The massive beast kept chugging on the like a freaking freight train, destroying anything in its path that didn’t move. I’m sure the longer I run, the chances of me getting trampled just increases. A flat me would be bad.

My luck really started to show when I had run into a dead end street plastered with old posters of plays from years long ago. I looked for any possible way to get over it, but the stacks of musty, old crates didn’t look like they’d support me if I’d climb up. There’s a simple looking wooden wagon with some junk in it. Maybe I can place it in a way that would allow me to climb over it. The junk looks light and I might—No, I can’t! The Zaghnol’s getting too close for me to do that. Scratch that thought.

I turned around, sword in my hands, as I faced the charging Zagnhol. I know I can’t beat it on my own, but I have to defend myself for now and find a way to lose this thing. Brute force ain’t gonna beat it now. But then I look back to the wagon. Idea!

Putting my sword away, I go over to the wagon and pull it away to the middle of the street and aimed it towards the beast. It didn’t look intimidated or impressed at my wagon as it rolled closer. I started pushing the wagon, hoping that this little plan would work. When it felt like it could keep going on its own, I gave it one big push as it careened for the orange monster. Only a few seconds later did the Zaghnol completely destroy the wagon along with a head on collision. It shook its head trying to get the planks of wood and dust off its face, which proved harder when it didn’t have hands.

With it slightly disoriented, I dived to the side into safety as the Zaghnol collided with the tall wall, breaking past it. The wall barely survived, but most of it is rubble now unfortunately. Good news for the people, they have a shortcut to that street now. I only managed to breathe once before I forced myself to run down the street I came from hide from the thing.

“What happened here?” I heard someone say. I peered over the corner and saw someone with blue hair in the distance. It was a guy looking over the entire mess that resulted in that chase, sounding confused as he tried to figure out what happened.

“Hey! Get out of there!!” I shouted at the guy.

A spine-tingling roar ripped through the air and both our heads turned to the mountain of rubble at the end of the street. It moved and shifted until the Zaghnol erupted from where it was buried underneath. Now it looked even more pissed than ever, if that’s even possible.

The guy swore before breaking into a run. His sudden movement immediately alerted the monster, its head snapping over his direction. I could see it huff through its nostrils, eyeing the hunter as it tried to put some distance between him and it. It roared again, hurting my ears despite the distance, and charged after the guy.

“OVER HERE!” I stepped out of my hiding spot and waved my arms at him. Once he saw me, I quickly scanned the area for another place that can be used for hiding. We can just break into one of these buildings, but that would take time to take down the door and I’m sure those who work or own these places won’t like it if we come in uninvited. There was a narrow alley we can escape to as it was small enough for us to slink in without the monster being able to fit in. Problem is that this alleyway is all over across the street, and there are a few Mus and Fangs prowling said street, probably three of each.

My shout didn’t go unnoticed by said Fangs and Mus as half of them had their sights already on me. By the time the other hunter came, I had two Fangs pushing against my sword while the Mu had started throwing rocks. One hit me on the forehead, stunning me for a moment and providing an advantage for the Fangs as they pushed me to the ground. Just as they were ready to pounce on my throat, a mace struck one of them in the head while the other was pushed back by a shield.

“Move!” The hunter said in a panicked tone as he shielded me from a barrage of rocks. I picked up my sword from where it was on the ground and got up, running forward from his shield’s cover and killed the pebble-flinging monster, earning me a nice six points from its tag. I should really focus on running away from the giant mass of muscle that wants to trample with its hooves instead of caring for my points at the moment.

We managed to get past the rest of the Mus and Fangs and into the alley, but that didn’t stop them from trying to get in. The Zaghnol growled at us as if threatening us that we’re not safe. Growl all you want, but as long as we’re here you are not getting us!

However, that didn’t stop the others as they filed into the alley one by one like a line of hungry carnivores just waiting to feast on our flesh once they get their nasty hands on us. I had to push the other guy forward before the Fang leading the charge got its claws on me. And just when things can’t get any worse, the other end of the alley, our destination and emergency exit, got crowded by three Mus.

“Where are these things coming from!?!” The guy I’m pushing shouted. Before I could answer, I was cut off by a familiar and loud noise, one I didn’t expect to hear.

_BANG!_

It was followed by a splatter of blood as one of the Mus dropped dead unexpectedly. The other two fell to the ground a second later after. We came out of the alley and stared at the dead bodies of the Mus for a long while; him in terror, me in surprise.

There were six holes on the side of each Mu’s head as they lay there on the ground. Half of them were entry points, the other half were being used a flowing exits for the blood. I could see three tiny things that was a third of my pinkie lying on the road wrapped in a disgusting dark green sheen. That wasn’t the only thing on the ground now as pools of blood started forming under the Mus.

“What the hell was that!?”

That…was a gun. A gun just went off and saved our butts. I didn’t expect to see a gun, or hear a gun go off, in a dimension where all of the weapons are either blunt or bladed along with some people able to use magic to attack and defend themselves. Either guns don’t exist in this universe before me and Blake got here or I incredibly missed a great amount of information as I played through this game.

We didn’t have any time to waste and wonder about this. The monsters in the alley were nearing the street we were in. I urged the man beside me to ignore the tags of the fallen Mus and move. He followed me as we ran down the street and went around the corner to put some distance between us and the monsters of the hunt. Safety was a bigger priority than winning at the moment.

“We need to get out of this district,” I finally said. I felt uncomfortable being in a district where there’s someone with a gun hanging around. Plus, I think I got enough points out of this district anyway. I can just go to another and hope this gun-toting person won’t switch locations.

“Why change? The hunt’s about to end.” I looked over to him when I heard what he said, eyebrows knitted together. “Should’ve paid more attention, girlie. There’s about thirty-three minutes left.” He supplied me with info.

True, I should’ve paid attention to the time. If I remember correctly, the Zaghnol causes some trouble for some kids with Zidane and Freya making the save near the end of the hunt. That happens in the Business District and that’s only an aircab ride away. But the Zaghnol is where I am right now, though thirty minutes is enough time for something like that to get there.

A smart choice would be to get out of the Zaghnol’s way and wait for this to blow over if you’re content with the points you have. A normal hunter would do that. What I’m thinking is helping out Zidane and Freya with that whole thing. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if they have one more set of hands, though both of them can have the points. Hmm…It would be nice if I can find Blake and convince him to help. I mean, not as a fighter against it. That would be cruel! He should be there so I know that he’s safe—

“AH!” I was forced off my feet and thrown to the ground when the wall to our side practically exploded. Big and small chunks of the wall were scattered around us as I tried to get off the ground. My head’s a bit hazy as I tried to take a look around me. The other hunter’s fine when I see him on his back, slightly more dazed than me, as he groaned in pain. One look at the wall that blew us away made me pale.

The thing responsible for that is the Zaghnol. It’s back and ready for another round.

_“OH CRAP! RUN!”_ I yelled as I scrambled to my feet. I had to drag the other hunter so he can get up as the Zaghnol trampled the ground with his hooves.

“Ohshitohshitohshitohshit. Keep running! Keep running! Don’t look back! Don’t look back!” The guy practically had his mouth run faster than his feet as he kept muttering things in a panic at 150 miles per hour in the oral highway.

I was ahead of him and was trying to find another alley that was as narrow as the one we got in before. I had to find one fast because we were running out of ground fast. The Zaghnol is ruthlessly gaining ground, inching his way towards us as we ran our fastest. Even when we cornered left to the next street it is right on our butts like a tail. It’s going to take one stupid mistake for us to make so it can get its hooves on us.

And unfortunately it happened. I saw the hunter behind me look at the Zaghnol longer than he should as we took a right and he didn’t see the Trick Sparrow flying low at him. It hit him directly in the face. He had to fight off the Sparrow with his shield, but that made him more vulnerable as the Zaghnol closed in.

“Look out!” He was barely able to move when the massive orange beast swung its head and flung him to the wall with such force I thought his neck snapped on impact. But after a few seconds he moved. He’s still alive.

I drew my sword and ran at the Zaghnol, slashing at its side in order to distract it. “Get up and run!” I shouted to him. “I’ll distract it for a moment!”

I did get its attention for a moment as it tried to do the same it did earlier to me, but I was able to jump back far enough to dodge it. I ran to its side, evading its horned chin as it attacked again and tried to keep away from that area while damaging it with my sword as much as I could, but unfortunately one of its hooves caught me and sent me to the floor. My sword clattered away from me when I landed, leaving me defenseless.

He Zaghnol huffed as it eyed me, readying its sights at me for another assault. My eyes went over to the injured hunter, who was trying to slip away from the scene. Good. He’s getting away. The less casualties, the better.

The problem with that is the Zaghnol noticed the slightest of movement as it turned its head to the limping man.

“NO!!” I screamed as the Zaghnol heaved at the man, goring him against the wall of the building he slammed to before. The wall cracked from the force, but it didn’t give away. One of the monster’s horns was impaled through the man’s torso. I could see blood coming out of his mouth as he screamed in pain, his wide eyes were looking at the Zaghnol before looking down at his wound.

The monster then swung its head again, this time dislodging the man from its chin. He landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, unmoving, blood starting to exit from both sides of his massive wound.

I stared, horrified, at what had just happened. The man is dead. I unconsciously took a step back when I realized that. The Zaghnol killed that poor hunter and now it had its sights set on me. I tried to help him…and he died. I wasn’t able to distract it long enough for him to get away…

I looked away from the body in the street and tried to focus on the matter at hand as hard as it might be. Even with all the damage I made on it, it still looked like I barely hurt it.

…But…because of me…if I didn’t run ahead he wouldn’t have been gored like that…I’m sorry…

_BANG!_

I was startled to attention when a crack in the air pierced my ears and echoed through the district. A roar continued the onslaught on my ears, making me want to cover them, but it was already over when I tried to. I saw the Zaghnol rear back and stamp on the ground repeatedly. Then I saw it. There is a trail of blood coming down its face from one of its eyes. Whoever was shooting was lucky enough to hit it in such a small area.

And then the unexpected happened: the Zaghnol retreated.

I was more surprised of that of happening than seeing a group of guards came running with two medics at their side. They were asking me questions, but my ringing ears made it difficult for me to hear them. They did give me a potion when they thought that would help, which was nice of them.

As they were trying to carry out the dead hunter respectfully, I was trying to see who the shooter is who’s been saving me for a while. It’s kinda like trying to spot who killed JFK, and even though I wasn’t there I know it was hard when you’re panicking and in a hurry. I looked all over and I managed to spot a figure on a roof just a street away. It was that guy I saw earlier in the guest bedroom before the start of the event. That maroon jacket. His grin emerged once he pulled away from his weapon and stood up. From what I saw, it looked like a dark rifle. What kind of rifle it was, I don’t know, but whatever it was it could really pack a punch.

MJM finally stood up from his perch and saluted over to me before turning around, casually walking away and jumping off to another roof. I don’t know whether to run after him or let him be. I just stood there with my eyes following his disappearing figure.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I blinked at the medic and his words.

“Huh?”

“I’m asking you if you can still compete so we can escort you out,” The medic clarified. “You look like you’ve taken quite the beating.”

“I-I’m fine. Thanks for the free potion though,” I walked over to where my sword was and picked it up. My eyes went up to where MJM was and found nothing. How long has he been watching? Was he waiting for those opportunities to save me happen? I won’t know unless I ask him myself.

Speaking of questions… “How much longer until the hunt ends?” I asked one of the guards.

“About twenty-eight minutes left. Better get moving if you want to get more points and win.” I don’t really need to win the festival. This is more of a proving ground to me instead of a contest.

With twenty-eight minutes left on the clock, I know what’s going to happen next. Surely Blake knows it too, so I know he’s going to head over to the Business District and won’t miss the big battle there. I just need to get there safely. Here’s hoping the Zaghnol doesn’t decide to show up at the aircab.


	23. Whose Kill Is It Anyway?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who comes out on top as the best Hunter/Huntress in the Festival?

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 22: Whose Kill Is It Anyway?

-Blake-

"What do you think you're doing?"

"What does…it look like I'm doing? I'm defending…myself!"

"Defending one's self means some sort of resistance. This is more of a one-sided struggle."

"Shut up…Mind your own business…"

If anyone is wondering what is happening right now, do not let your imagination wander. I am simply trying to fight off a Mu that has taken me down to the ground. And I'm losing.

I have never considered myself an expert in self-defense, but even someone like me can say that I am doing a pathetic job trying to do so. If self-defense is an actual human being, it'd be ashamed to see what is happening right now and would want to kill itself for seeing something so embarrassing.

The Mu has its mouth inching away towards me with the only thing stopping it being my small dagger supported underneath by my injured hand. It came with four other friends, but now they just bit the dust in the hands of the mercenary standing over to the side watching my weak performance. She did not even break a sweat in handling them. To be honest, these are Mus we're talking about anyway, yet I'm the one having a hard time taking care of this one.

I could smell the breath of the Mu trying to bite a chunk out of me, and let me tell you, I wish I had another arm to cover my nose. If I were to die and this is the last scent to enter my nose I'd like to go back five minutes in time and kill myself instead.

Before I could embarrass myself any more, the blunt side of Lani's axe hit the blue furred monster and sent it away a few feet. I scrambled on it with my dagger after recovering from the surprise and stabbed it in the head. Now there were five dead Mus on the street and none of the points are going to me.

"That took forever," Lani remarked, annoyed, as she set her axe back on her back. I ripped the tag from the Mu's neck and it read  _5_. "And I'll be taking that." Before I could even think of pocketing it, it was taken away from my hand by her. All I could do is growl at her since she could easily manhandle me in my poor physical state. Or worse, cripple me.

We were still in the Industrial District, but we're actually on the move towards another one. I suggested the Business District since that is where the big one is going to happen. The Zaghnol would make its appearance there. With twenty-five minutes left on the clock, I don't know how much time would be needed in order for me to kill it and seal my victory. A hundred points would certainly put my name on the top of the list and it might let me actually win.

But there is this problem. Lani is still demanding me to give up my points so she can win if I don't want to be reported to the Festival of the Hunt authorities.

Lani might also steal away my opportunity to win if I bring her along to the Zaghnol fight. She's not even supposed to be even there when it happens since at that time her name only appears in the game as some kind of foreshadowing. She'll only be a liability to my chances and a huge change to the plotline if she meets any of the characters at this time. Who knows what other disaster might happen in the future if that were to happen?

I need to get rid of her.  _Fast._

My mind kept making up solutions to this problem I have at the moment. It does not matter what I have to do, I just need her to disappear before I proceed to any other district. And I am not resorting to murder because she is going to be a major player later. At least not yet.

I had to look around for any sort of clue as to what I should do, but nothing seemed to spark any ideas. Just some empty streets save for the occasional hunter and the number of bodies of dead monsters. It is  _really_  getting hard not to think about committing murder just by going with the scenery around me. What it did give me was insight that things were starting to calm down in this district.

I would like to think that the only hunters in here for the time being are me and Lani. I could be wrong. Some of them could be hiding in the shadows, hoping some defenseless and tired hunters would come by so they can ambush them for their points. Not that I'm hoping  _I_ would get attacked. There could be people out there who have thought of doing this at least once. I have... Moving on...

As we were making out way to the aircab terminal, something caught my eye. There is this banner on the side of a small building about selling items. It is closed now because its owners are watching this event. The banner only made me conscious if I had enough items to last me for the Zaghnol fight. As I checked my items, I see Lani quickly downing a vial of potion before throwing the empty container down the street we just passed. Something about that potion seemed interesting for a moment…

But during the moment I had a flash of brilliance, a group of Trick Sparrows came down on us, their claws scratching at us at high speeds. One of them dived for me and cut at my back. Thankfully, most of its attack was blocked by the armor I had, but it still got through a fair bit on my lower back. A curse aimed at the stupid monster came out of my mouth before I started running for cover. I reached over inspected the wound underneath the cover of a large umbrella near a closed café. I felt the rip in the shirt and winced when my finger brushed against the wound.

"Damn it! I just bought this shirt!" I yelled at the bird responsible.

"Will you stop bellyaching there and help!?" Lani snapped at me as she barely missed cutting a diving Sparrow, but was on the receiving end of pecks from its other friends.

To be honest, I did not know how to help out in this. I didn't have any traps I could use or my bait to lure them down to a false sense of security. I only have a measly dagger with a short reach, which is even shorter due to my attempts of being cautious, and it even became more impossible with Lani dangerously brandishing that axe of hers. That means my methods of helping is very limited. With a shrug and half a potion vial later, I stepped out of my cover and looked above.

The Trick Sparrows really liked having the high ground as they swooped down two at a time with the third following once they had made their strike. And here I was thinking birds were not that smart. Well, except for Nero. He's developing. Anyway, the Sparrows kept up their assault while we waited for an opportunity to take them down. Lani actually did not want to wait when one of her hands started glowing clear blue.

One of the birds squawked in astonishment as its beak was flattened by the broad side of Lani's axe. The afflicted bird fell flailed the other way, hitting another and sending both of them down. She met one of them in the air, jumping on its back as platform to cut the other Trick Sparrow behind it. Her acrobatics proved helpful as she knocked three of them down to the ground, easy pickings for me as I dug into them with my dagger. Just as I was pocketing the 3 point tag of the dead monster, I see the bounty hunter use the nearest wall to run up as the last bird went after her. Four steps up the wall, she pushed off and cut off the bird's wing and landed on both of her feet effortlessly. The Trick Sparrow was dead to rights by then, one stomp on its head and she was 3 points higher than before.

"Too flashy..." I sarcastically remarked, wiping my dagger on the dead Sparrow beside me. Though I did imagine myself doing that and thought it would be pretty cool if I actually pulled it off. Dreams can happen, right?

"Shut up and get me my tags," ordered the brunette.

"Yes ma'am." She was too busy cleaning the blood off of her weapon and checking the wounds she had received from that little skirmish to mind me doing what she wanted, but I was actually looking around if there were any more signs of danger. Clear so far. Might as well do it now while we're not fighting.

"Here's some potions." I walked over and pulled two things from my pocket. Lani was too annoyed to even look at me, but she did put out her hand for me to put it in. "Don't want to waste yours."

"Damn right I don't. Bounty hunters don't squander their own things." She said as she pulled open the vial and started drinking.

"Cheers," I said, raising my vial up but did not open it. She noticed this when she emptied hers.

"Aren't you drinking your...potion?" That last one sounded somewhat slurred. I showed her my vial and grinned.

"I would usually drink a normal potion, but what I gave you isn't one." The bounty hunter lost her grip on her axe as she was trying to lift it up, leaving it on the ground when she instead decided to grab my vest with both hands. It sure is nice to be prepared, even though this one wasn't an idea I thought back in the Ice Cavern. "Next time be careful with what strangers give you."

"What...did you...?" She tried to say as she shook me, but the effect of the potion is starting to take over her.

"Nothing complicated. Just something that might make you feel  _drowsy_." I smiled at her as she tried to wind up for a punch, which did not hurt that much because of how she clumsily did it and it mostly hit me in the ear instead of the cheek. Sure my ears did ring a bit, but it didn't hurt as much as my bleeding back. I just shoved her off me and backed up as she tried to get a hold of me.

"When I...wake up...I'm...gonna...find you...and..." Lani tried to threaten me, but her eyelids were dropping and her legs were barely able to keep her up as she stumbled towards her intended target, only trip on the dead body of a Trick Sparrow.

I know that she'll easily tear me apart in a fight, even if she does not use her large axe, and I admit I won't be able to put up much of a match, but I'll take those chances if I want to proceed with winning this festival. It's a risk worth taking, for me at least. I don't need Lani threatening to report me to the authorities with my  _unique_  strategy along with taking my points as a price for her silence looming over my head. I'd rather get struck by lightning again. Besides, I'll have other people with me when we cross paths again. Winning is all I want and all I'm going to get it no matter what it takes.

"Just to make sure." I propped up the sleeping woman and opened the sleeping potion I still had in my hand and emptied its contents in her mouth before closing and covering it to make her swallow. She coughed and hacked for a quite a while, but her eyes stayed closed and afterwards she lay still on the ground, a soft snoring following it.

Since she was out of it, I inspected her belongings as I wondered how many points she had on her person. Putting aside her potions and whetstones, possibly for her axe, the points she had was basically enough to double my own score. This is a major boost! But with this there are a number of downsides. There's the obvious matter of Lani going out of her way to kill me if she finds me. Then there's the possibility of the authorities seeing my score as a result of collusion. Honestly, I'm not sure what their official ruling on it is since I'm unaware of the entire rule set. And there's also the straight out stealing of points from another hunter in the field…

After thinking about what possible punishments these scenarios, as well as some other possible outcomes, I came to the conclusion that the risk will be worth it. This just ensures my spot in the top. I will still need the head of the biggest target in the Festival, the Zaghnol, to fully ensure my victory. But that comes later when I arrive in the Business District. So I gather all of the tags Lani had and put them with my own. Talk about irony.

You know what, she was a jerk with how she treated me for the past ten minutes. I am going to take the rest of her potions and dump her whetstones somewhere else! That'll show her to be a pain in the ass.

Now to look for a place to put her away so nobody can find her until this whole thing is over.

-FF FF FF-

I looked over my shoulder on the way to the aircab station, wondering if anybody still in this district saw me. Who knows who could still be around? Maybe I'm just being too paranoid after being caught doing something I should not have even thought of doing. This one could possibly dwarf the supposed punishment I could get for cheating. It's done now anyway. At least she's out of the way now.

However if I do get caught for this recent offense…then I'll worry about it when I cross that bridge.

The station was empty when I arrived, but it would not be that way for long as one was barreling down the track to the station. I don't know whether to be surprised by the coincidence of an aircab arriving just when I need it or not, but I sure am irritated due to the previous seconds lost by simply waiting. With nineteen minutes left I had no patience for waiting.

"Sorry fer the wait, sonny! Hop on in!" The driver called the moment the doors opened. "Where to?"

I was about to say 'Business District and stat!' when my eyes caught a glimpse of a person sitting on the very back. Eyes down cast looking somewhat troubled with her hands on the sword placed on her lap, fingers tapping nervously on the weapon's blunt side, Alyssa had not even noticed me get on. The driver had to ask again, this time with his voice a tad louder. It pulled her away from her reverie.

"Business District," I said without turning my head. The aircab lurched forward and started to accelerate. I had to hold on to one of the chairs to maintain my balance. "This is the second time today I've seen you looking like that." That was directed at her. Her shoulders slumped some more.

"Sorry. I was just thinking..." It must have been pretty deep whatever she was thinking. "Not really."

I sat down on the second to the last row with my legs on the cushion and my back against the window. Alyssa looked tired, which is something to be expected, but not that battle-weary. Her sword looks like it's been through a lot of monsters lately with all that blood she hasn't wiped off on it. There were some scratches on her arms and clothes that were not that bad, but would definitely leave marks. My guess is she's having a tough time going through all those monsters. I mean, she had difficulties practicing this kind of self-defense when we started. Who knows how she's been dealing with it?

"How about you?" I heard her ask. "You're not that hurt, are you?"

As much as I want to spend the next few minutes riding to the Business District in silence, something about Alyssa's bothered me, but I decided to answer anyway. "No. But I am running out of potions. By the time we're done with the Festival I will have a lot of empty vials and almost no more money for restocking." Good thing I'm not recklessly tossing my sleeping potions left and right like those Goblins in the Ice Cavern though. Running out of those would be bad.

"Good to hear."

"Yeah..." Then silence once again. She sounds...shaken. Since she sounds like that I think it would be better for her if she just didn't talk at all though it's like she wants to say something. It's not that it whatever she has in mind is important anyway. What would be the chances?

On the other hand, she is the only one between us to finish the game with a 100% completion. Maybe there is something she knows that might happen in the Festival that might give me the victory. Might as well get it over with so I can have my rest.

"Alright, you look like you have something to say," I said, leaning over the top rail of the chair in order to listen and see Alyssa clearer. "Did you see something happen or do you know something that can help us? Nobody just looks  _that_  worried—"

"I almost died." Everything I was about to say halted in my throat. The rant I had in my head just about died. "I was helping this guy out in the Theatre District. Before that, the Zaghnol was chasing me. I managed to lose it momentarily, but the guy comes in like a lost kid and before I knew it he got targeted by the beast."

An early appearance of the Zaghnol? I know they had to release him early before the walls of its prison got destroyed, which would add to the expenses of the kingdom along with the problem of cleaning the mess, but surely I should have expected the Zaghnol to try and kill other hunters during its free time before the fight. I was too focused on the fight being the last thing to happen.

"We managed to get away for a while, but it was like a heat-seeking missile. It kept coming. It was only a matter of time until it got one of us. And...and...it was brutal..." Her voice was breaking. It must have been awful for her. Figures since she had a hard time killing that first Goblin. With the way she was feeling, it felt like I had to say something, something that would at least cheer her up.

"…That…sucks." So much for that attempt.

She took in a breath to calm herself. "It did. But that wasn't the only thing that happened."

"So are there any silver linings in this horrible incident?" I asked, to which she looked unsure of how to answer.

"I don't know if it's good news exactly. But do you remember in Dali when I said we told you about the guy in the maroon jacket who was not supposed to be there?"

"Oh yes," I answered. That I still remember from their explanation of their little exploration underneath the village of Dali. It seemed like he was the one directing the villagers on working the black mage dolls. He also took Alyssa underground. This mystery man is strange. We don't know who he is aside from a general description of his attire and face. Hopefully he will be just a one-off person.

"Yeah, him," Alyssa said. "You won't believe me when I say it, but MJM is here."

"What? What do you mean he's here? I swear I did not see anyone in a maroon jacket around where I've been."

"I've only seen him in the Noble District. The last time I saw him he was on the roof." There has got to be a number of questions running through Alyssa's head right now like what is he doing here, is he alone, has he seen us in public, or did he know about the stolen cargo ship.

"Hmm...Did you see where he went?"

She shook her head here. "But seeing him isn't just the strangest part!" Oh great, there more layers to this mystery. "When I was being attacked by the Zaghnol, I heard a loud  _bang_ , like a gun going off. Turns out it was a gun. MJM had a  _RIFLE_ pointed at the monster and shot one of its eyes!"

Oh...shit. This is a game changer. A character with a gun? I don't even know if there is a guy in here with a gun in the actual game! And this person is somewhat in league with the antagonists, though I am not sure if this is true or not, makes this even more big news to me. This guy has just become "interesting" to "dangerous".

On the other hand, he shot one of the Zaghnol's eyes out. That is a huge advantage I can use. Perhaps I can blind its other eye too! This is just too perfect! Things are really starting looking my way for once.

I was content leaving that conversation like that, things being known and useful information being shared and all. But Alyssa had one more point to cover.

"Look. Sorry for blowing up on you earlier," I hear her say from her seat. Looking back, I was all kinds of tense since there's the thought of Meguro possibly being there to see me basically tell Alyssa about what I was told not to share and I was getting tired of everyone looking down on me just for having a weak arm.

"If you're referring to our little exchange earlier, smarter people would say that it would be me who should be apologizing." I lean back on the seat, trying to relax.

"Everyone's just worried about you, y'know? All you said back there didn't make a whole lot of sense."

I chuckle darkly. "Us being here don't make a whole lot of sense either. Not that we're asking the right questions about it."

From the edge of my peripheral vision, I could see her adjust in her seat. "It's just that I'm not sure you're telling the truth about this. Is winning the Festival of the Hunt really gonna send us home?"

I guess that's the million gil question. Would it really work? As far as I know, this could just be me overthinking a simple statement from an enigmatic woman. But I to believe that this is a real opportunity that's harder to prove than anything in the world. "Depends." I answer, looking at the opposite side of the aircab to avoid her look.

When the silence felt like it was too much to bear, I turned to ask what was wrong when I jumped back to the edge of the seat we were sharing with my back hitting the wall. Alyssa was basically right up in my face with a demanding look.

"What is it, Blake? It's like you don't trust me or something. How can I help if you're not being upfront with me?"

"Look," I started, yet struggled to pick out the right excuses. I went with what I said last time she pushed for an answer about all of this. "All you need to know is that I  _need_  to win this thing." The amount of points that I currently I have are not enough. I feel I don't have enough. I need to be certain that I'm going to win this and that Zaghnol is going to ensure my victory. With it blinded in one eye, it might as well be served on a large silver platter.

The aircab then hissed as it lurched forward and came to a stop. "Business District, here we are!" The driver announced. "And with fifteen minutes to spare."

I snapped up to my feet, went past Alyssa as she tried to say something I do not want to hear, and exited the vehicle. Fifteen minutes would be all I need to get the Zaghnol kill. I do not have time to lose.

-FF FF FF-

"Vivi, look out!" I heard Alyssa shout in the distance as I ran past the retreating black mage. Vivi's 'coincidental' entrance with a Fang right on his tail helped me lose that annoying girl, but only for a while. That gives me time to prepare for the fight.

The ground beneath my feet started rumbling, faintly at first and it escalated more and more as I ran through the streets. I had to stop by a wall to regain my balance before I fell down on the street. Not only was there shaking, but screams that seemed to come closer by the second. I peeked around the corner and saw a pair of children running towards my direction. And the thing chasing them is the  _Zaghnol_.

I stayed against the wall and held my breath as the children and beast turned right during their chase in order to not be noticed. When the commotion seemed far enough and with nobody around, I ran after them but turned to the nearest alley. Deep in that alley, inside a cracked crate that I had to break, is a small brown satchel with a white cloth balled up in a long way. Underneath all that cloth is another special cloth. And finally under that one is what might make or break my chances at winning.

This is the thing that Meguro left me before she disappeared in the park. A dagger with a purple hilt.

It looked like your average dagger, a bit longer in regards to blade length and had a unique design to it, but despite its appearances I am inclined to believe it is anything but average. My inspection of it the night I got it did not result in any wild revelations. However, strangely enough, Nero did not like it when I uncovered the blade. He scurried into my pillow as I looked at it and chirped almost incessantly until the cloth was around the blade once more. Since I could not test it on monsters in my current condition, I opted to craving a short, single line into the floor of my room. Cuts nicely, doesn't need much effort, possibly expertly made in mind of a weak handler. It leaves me uncertain if Meguro is making fun of my strength or not though.

The morning after, there was this light horrible smell that was only identifiable if you're looking for it. Turns out the cut I made on the floor now had become green and was the source of the smell.

What that meant could mean numerous things. However, the only important thing I got out of that was I can use this for the Festival. This along with the traps and bait I've bought with the rest of my money, all of it would be used to my advantage for an easier hunting experience.

The plan now is to use it to help weaken the monster. I do not know what exactly the effects of the blade are, which is the same reason why I didn't use it from the start, but I do hope it can put the hurt on any monster with each cut. I sure wish now that I got the specifics of this dagger before Meguro scurried off. Nonetheless, this dagger should help me bring the pain and the points the Zaghnol should have.

I put the first layer of cloth around it again before replacing the back-up dagger I have strapped around my leg. I'll pull that out later when I'm actually in the fight. Also, I don't want to accidentally cut myself on it and end up knowing what it does to human skin.

As I start making my way out of the alley, I hear the children scream once again. Where are Zidane and Freya when you need them?

"Hey!" My head turns to the source of the yell and see Alyssa marching towards me with Vivi right behind her. "Where did you go? I needed help earlier and you just ran away without even offering to help!"

"Hi Vivi. Good to see you're safe." I say to the black mage, walking past Alyssa. "How are the animals treating you so far?"

"These aren't animals, they're monsters!" Vivi replied. I wonder when he figured that out.

"No seriously, where did you run off to?" Alyssa insisted on getting an answer. What she got was the roar of the monster that had chased her reverberating throughout the district. I swear I saw her flinch the moment she heard it. Vivi looked around and held his staff in front of him in case of a monster attack.

"It sounds like it came from over there." I pointed to the direction where the item and weapon shops are located, the place where the Zaghnol was in the game.

"That sounded like a big one," Vivi said a slight quiver in his voice. Who would not quiver after hearing something so scary half a mile away? Normally if something threatening that would probably have the ability to physically crush me, like that one time I almost got ran over by a SUV, I would panic.

Seeing that this time is different, though the thing is twice as big and powerful than just a mechanical vehicle from the 21st century, panicking may still be an option but not  _the_ option. I need to concentrate on this one because this is important. If I don't get my act together I would be stuck in this world for god knows how long.

With a breath, I looked to Vivi and said, "I'll go check it out. You should try to lay low in case more monsters come out."

"Wait. Are you out of your mind?" Alyssa obviously did not like the idea I suggested.

"What? Do  _you_ want to go?" And once again, the girl showed apprehension at the thought of seeing the orange beast that almost ended her. "That's what I thought."

"Are you trying to prove something? It's just a stupid competition!" You watch your tongue. Some people here in Lindblum might slap you just for saying that. This 'stupid competition' attracts a lot of people from around the continent, trying to prove something to themselves or to other well-respected individuals that they know.

As for me, I am trying to prove that I deserve to go back home. I mean, what else is a one-armed liar with a mysterious dagger going to do, lie down on the ground and let that Zaghnol stomp me into the third layer of the world? I didn't have a lot of options and I only thought this would work through sheer stress-induced interpretation of vague statements.

Ignoring Alyssa's attempt to pull out of me an answer, another scream broke through the air, alerting the three of us especially Alyssa. It did not sound like someone who hunted monsters for a living. That only sent Alyssa running towards it faster than expected. I followed behind Vivi as he asked the girl what was wrong.

We came to a stop behind a building where Alyssa took cover. Another scream came again, but this one it was of relief instead of terror as they recognized someone standing behind the orange beast. A familiar blond haired and tailed thief stood there with his weapons in his hands. Two children, a boy and a girl, cowered at the Zaghnol as it stared at its next prey.

"Hey big boy! Turn around!" Zidane shouted at the monster. The Zaghnol turned its head at him and growled when it saw the blond hunter wielding his new dual-bladed weapons. "Damn, you're ugly!"

The Zaghnol roared and scratched the ground with one of its hooves as if it understood the insult from the half-man, half-monkey hunter that stood before it. But before it could even start charging at him, another individual decided to invite herself to the party that was about to happen.

"Allow me to help," The dragon knight from Burmecia said the moment she straightened herself from her jump from the rooftops.

"Time for our entrance," I said to Alyssa. With dagger in hand, I walked out of our spot and pointed to the Zaghnol. "Maybe a few more hands would make things easier."

Freya and Zidane turned to see me approach. Both seemed surprised to see me at this moment of the competition. "Blake? Good to see you haven't broken anything yet."

"Hopefully things stay the same after the next fifteen minutes," Alyssa replied for me as I kept my eyes on the prize.

"That's a very big monster…" Vivi spoke, his nerves getting to him as he stood before the intimidating monster. To be fair, it  _is_  bigger than I could have imagined. It's almost triple the size of a normal bull.

"Let us save the small talk for later," Freya told us, readying herself for combat.

"Okay, but I get to finish him!" Zidane put the daggers together by their hilt and formed the Ogre as he took in a stance. "I've got a date with Dagger on the line!"

The rest of us, save for Vivi, could not help but shake our heads. "…You're ridiculous. Fine. As you wish." I could not help but disagree with Freya's sentiments.

"Apologies to the both of you, but that Zaghnol's going to die by my hand." I said. "A date with a girl may be your prize, but my prize is a date with destiny."

"What makes you think that I'm going to let you win?" Zidane raised an eyebrow at me, half of his attention at the Zaghnol that is about to charge us, thinking I was joking. But I wasn't.

I put up my splint to go along with my response, "Disability privileges."

The Zaghnol roared once again, but this time charged at us with its pointed chin trying to get at least one of us. We all scattered left and right with Freya taking the high ground to dodge the incoming attack. Alyssa ended up near the two terrified kids alongside Zidane. I managed to safely land near the fountain with Vivi landing by my side.

Freya struck first by throwing her spear into the behemoth's side. Alyssa and Zidane were frantically trying to calm down the children and figure out where they should hide in case the fight gets too violent. The girl with the sword pointed to the inside of the Synthesis Shop where they can hide behind a counter until we are done. The two children nodded and hid together inside the shop.

I had to help up Vivi as the Zaghnol came to a stop from its first charge. It saw us on its sweep of the area, looking for targets to run through. We stayed together whilst evading another charge from the monster. Freya retrieved her spear from its side, scratching its side twice more before jumping away to safety.

"Let's stay back, Vivi," I tell the black mage once we found cover from the other side of the fountain. Alyssa, Zidane, and Freya were taking advantage of the numbers game as they surrounded the beast.

"They look like they're in trouble." Vivi is right. Despite our fellow competitors being the 'three' in the 3-on-1 here, they still had a large problem with the Zaghnol being powerful than all of their abilities combined. Though, that is, if one of them goes into Trance.

"We're going to pull them out of the frying pan with some fire when it tries to attack," I said as I carefully drew my poison dagger from its hiding place under my pant leg. "You're going to hit it with a barrage of Fire spells. That will give them ample space to back up or an opportunity to attack. And maintain distance. Understand?"

When he nodded, I set out to position myself nearer to the action, but still away from earning the monster's attention, kneeling beside the fountain with the Zaghnol directly in front of my sights. I gave Vivi a wave and a point towards the enemy, a signal to start the barrage. It took him a few precious seconds, but eventually a small burst of fire went off on the side of the monster's face.

It turned away from the explosion, but the damage was already done. Alyssa used this time to back off while Zidane went the offensive, slashing at the right front-most legs to slow it down. Of course, its tree-trunk size meant it is going to take a lot just to disable that. It tried to retaliate by running around and blindly spinning around, using its body to slam against anyone near it. The thief barely got clipped by it, sending him toppling to the ground a few feet from the fight. Vivi covered it again with one Fire spell when it eyed Zidane.

As it was recovering from the previous blast, I ran in and stabbed it in the leg Zidane worked on. I pushed it in a bit deeper, like force it in with my good shoulder, so whatever magic it had could make its way into the blood easier. The Zaghnol did not like a having a puny human doing that to its leg as it kicked me off, my grasp leaving the dagger as it stayed on its leg like a splinter in someone's thumb.

My mind told me to make an attempt to take back the dagger, but approaching the orange monster was difficult with Freya jumping around, throwing her weapon at the massive thing, along with Zidane trying to cut down the legs; waltzing into the middle of the crossfire and getting caught in it would not give earn me the kill.

Then I just remembered what Alyssa had told me earlier while we were on the aircab. " _MJM had a RIFLE pointed at the monster and shot one of its eyes!"_

I looked at the Zaghnol, and true enough, its right eye had been closed and blood had dried around it. Surprising it had not died from the headshot it received from the gun-toting hunter, only proving that it is tougher than it looks. Maybe when we meet this MJM guy I may have to thank him after killing the monster.

So an approach from the right would partially be unseen, yet I need to make sure it won't turn its head to that direction when I come that way. "Alyssa! I need you to approach from the left!"

"Why?" I stopped her from charging in momentarily, her eyes looking at me, confused.

"Just do as I say so this fight can end!" She nodded, hesitantly but nodded nonetheless.

The girl readied her sword as we ran from different sides, her being a few steps farther than mine, just as Zidane jumped back after Freya covered him. She slashed at its side, another large gash being added to its wounds. It instantly reacted and turned towards her, its horned chin trying to impale her.

I grabbed the stuck dagger and pulled as hard as I can the moment it was over. It gave away after the third pull, blood covering the blade, as some of it ran down the leg. However, this took too much time to do so as it already noticed me. It swung its head at me and I immediately flew to the wall behind me. At least I have my weapon now.

My vision was all over the place when I opened my eyes upon hearing her. I must have hit the wall with my head hard enough to mess with my eyes because I only saw blurry shapes and colors. That was the least of my concerns because a large figure was staring me down, roaring into the sky. I heard Zidane taunt it with one of his signature cockiness, trying to pry its attention away from me while Vivi hit it with a Thunder spell. He did get it, although momentarily, when it charged at him chin-first.

Before I could even react, I was pulled to my feet and carried away. I looked at the thing that rescued me and saw mostly orange or red, I think. And when I say carried, I mean I felt I was in the air for a second before I heard an "Oomph" and something hitting the ground, presumably someone's boots.

"Avoid recklessly attacking if you don't wish to die today," I heard the Burmecian dragon knight admonish me as she put me down.

"Thanks for the advice," I had no sarcastic remark ready when I steadied myself. I tried to shake off that last hit, but my knees buckled when I let go of Freya resulting in my butt hitting the floor.

"It might be best for you to retire from the rest of the competition." Just hearing the suggested irritated me that I turned away from the dragon knight. There is logic in her statement though, something I am going to look past because I just don't want to agree with it right now.

"I'm not retiring," I stubbornly told her as I shook my head, a poor attempt of rearranging the colors. I heard footsteps come near me along with another feminine voice.

"Blake, are you okay?" I felt a hand cup the back of my head, sending a stinging response through my nerves.

I immediately flinched at the contact and shouted. "Don't touch me! God, that hurts!" The hand went away but I was left with the pain. "Just...let me think."

Her worrying may have made the pain worse momentarily, but it somehow got my eyes to line up all of the colors and figures. I blinked twice to make sure. The sight two women, Freya and Alyssa, looking at me as I tried to focus my eyes were a welcome sight. However, my attention was grabbed by something happening farther away from us. The blond thief being chased around by the Zaghnol had taken my attention since I was looking for an idea on what to do next. It favoring the leg we've been working on for a while made it move slightly slower than before, but still mobile enough to catch one of us. Vivi was nearer to us than I remembered, looking at me too with those concerned yellow eyes of his.

A roar from the orange beast got my attention again. Zidane had a bright idea of using property damage as a way to wear down the beast by running directly at a wall and up it, backflipping off the wall and above the monster when his momentum had carried him far enough, so the monster inadvertently collided with the wall of a red brick building. He landed square on this head and ran up and down its hump before dismounting with a chuckle.

Then an idea hit me like that Zaghnol's chin against that wall.

"Plan D!" I exclaimed and stood up faster than anyone can say 'what's Plan D?'

"Plan D?" Alyssa asked as Freya looked on. I could not read her expression, whether she was interested in what I was about to say or curious as to why I am still fighting. Whatever it was she was still looking.

"It is a stupid plan that will make or break my chances of winning. And continuity happened to C, B, and A." I moved towards Vivi with three long strides with the girl jogging behind me trying to say something about caring about winning. Whatever. "Okay team, listen up! Vivi."

"Y-Yeah?" The sight of the Zaghnol pulling itself from the wall as it pounded its legs against it was off-putting to the mage, which was understandable since he was trying to concentrate.

"There is only one thing I need you to do. When it steps on the water there," I pointed to the fountain, "I need you to cast Blizzard so it freezes, okay? Focus first, then cast. That should hold it there for a few seconds." My simple explanation of his part was easily understood when he nodded a second later.

I turned to Alyssa. "You're going to help me distract it. Just follow my lead." She looked like she wanted to argue something but had surprisingly kept quiet. Except she sighed as if she was resigned to her fate. Way to believe in me, Alyssa.

I looked over to Freya, but she was already gone. She had jumped near the Zaghnol and once again threw her weapon at it, getting another excellent hit. I had nothing for her to do anyways. Besides, would she follow the instructions of a one-armed guy with a puny dagger? No, I don't think so.

The moment it had pulled itself out of the wall and shaken off the debris, we started shouting at it. It barely took us a second with our taunting and shouting, along with my wild swinging of my dagger, to make it run after us. The chase had begun. Hopefully it would be short.

Now that I am on the other end of being chased by an injured yet massive beast, compared to earlier when I spectated this similar chase done by Zidane, I can say that I would rather watch this instead of having it happen to me. It is not fun, especially for someone who only runs when he is about to be late to class, which is a rare event for me. I can see Alyssa not having any sort of difficulties when I am already short of breath.

Our run should have been short, but it felt too long despite us running straight directly to the fountain. The ground kept shaking after us. It felt like we were running away from an earthquake. But I still pushed my legs to run as fast as it can to our target. As much as I wanted to look behind me and see how far, or close, I am from danger, I did not risk it in order to focus on the fountain. Don't want to trip the moment I glanced at the Zaghnol.

I eyed Vivi as we came close. He concentrated on the spell he is about to use, his eyes closed as I did not see any sign of those yellow lights behind that shadowy veil under his hat.

I slightly hopped over the edge of the fountain, my feet and new shoes then temporarily submerged in water as I stumbled forward in an effort to continue running. Alyssa was ahead of me by a few steps, already nearing the other side of the large fountain. The Zaghnol plowed through part of the fountain, not even bothering to step or hop over it. At that moment, I used all of the strength in my legs and dived out of the fountain as a certain  _whooshing_  sound came by.

One look at the fountain made me smile. My plan had worked. The Zaghnol is now inside the fountain, its hooves frozen to the ice surrounding it, making it temporarily immobile. But that did not guarantee that it would end there. It is only a matter of time that it'll rip through the ice. I did not have Vivi stop the Zaghnol for nothing. I still need to kill it.

So I hurried back up to my feet and circled the hulking beast as fast as I could. The others, save for Vivi, took that opportunity to lunge into battle once again. It may be stuck at the moment, but that did not mean it cannot retaliate, which Freya learned as she barely missed throwing her spear at its head and jumped closer to retrieve it, only for the Zaghnol to swing its head and hit her. It managed to get one of its front legs free during that part. Alyssa nearly got hit by it as she sidestepped it at the last second.

While all of that is happening, I climbed the middle portion of the fountain, bad arm and all. I managed to get up to a significant height that I even surprised myself. The ice holding down the monster had now started to crack and my window of opportunity was starting to close. With one big draw of breath, I jumped off, aiming for the large hump on its back.

I didn't land as graceful as I wanted to, but a handful of its mohawk-like patch of hair enabled me to secure a spot on the hump. And at that moment, the monster freed its other front leg. Both then slammed into the ice, sending fragments or frozen water like shrapnel from an explosive device. I nearly screamed as I hung on.

"What are you doing up there!?" I could hear Vivi shout from far away.

"Trying to WIN!" I shouted back, positioning myself on the hump so I am able to slightly stand on the top of it and not dangle off to the side.

I tried to draw my dagger once again, but it knew that I was on it so it bucked a few times in an attempt to send my flying. I fell forward, but managed to save myself from going off the side by stabbing my weapon on the hump, giving me some sort of leverage hold as I nearly toppled off to the side, but instead let me land on the top of the Zaghnol's skull when it bucked once again.

The seat is barely comfortable with the constant bucking and turning, both feet resting on smaller horns on the side. I can easily say that this is not the most comfortable seat here. My commendation would go to the hump behind me right now.

"Blake, get off the Zaghnol before it kills you!" I heard Alyssa's voice yell once again. Can this girl just let me be for a moment so I can accomplish something?

With one hand holding on to one of its horns, I began stabbing it anywhere I can. Apparently, the thing's neck and head had a lot of tight muscle and strong bones that my dagger could barely cut through it. Either that or my dagger hand is just weak. Damn me for getting tired so easy! It still did not like me being there despite all that. Perhaps it can feel—

"WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAOOOOOAAAAAAAA!" The Zaghnol started swing its head back and forth, left and right in an almost desperate attempt to fling me off its head just as I was about to stab it again. It was so sudden that my head bounced off its back, disorienting me and nearly causing me to fall off. My bad arm managed to desperately hook around one of its horns, barely holding on to my spot. My weapon was almost lost in flight too, but good thing I managed to clumsily catch it from the air.

Hold on! Just hold on, damn it! Victory is nearly at hand. Just get back in position and stab away.

The bumpy ride just got bumpier due to my current position. Good news, I did not lose my weapon in the struggle. Bad news, I am starting to feel dizzy and nauseated. This must be what it feels like when riding a mechanical bull on your first time, except with more of the sore muscles. At least the painful humiliation after getting thrown off a mechanical bull won't count here.

I adjusted my grip on my dagger and stabbed the side of the monster's head as hard as I could. This time it managed to get itself through the flesh and inflict some major damage. The Zaghnol roared and swung its head wildly in reaction to it, once again trying to shake me off. I just kept hammering away at that spot and hoped the dagger's magic was doing its work.

My next decision was to retake my previous position and probably drink some potions. That whiplash earlier is still sending some painful stings to my head and neck. Once I am seated properly, and this time leaning a bit forward so one of my arms are looped around a horn, I take out some potion vials for me to drink. Popping them all open with my teeth, my great aching pains will be gone.

"I hope you're comfy over there." I hear a voice say. I paused at opening my potions and looked above me. I found Zidane holding on to the Zaghnol's weird mohawk-styled hair and he does not look that pleased right now.

"You can say I'm sitting pretty right now," I say to him. His look does not change at that. "What do you want me to say? I'm sorry for having a game plan? The best hunters always have a great plan. Are you looking at me like that because you don't like a man who is prepared for anything or you don't like being outshined?"

"What kind of friend am I if I'm not gonna be worried that you're killing yourself for some points?" Can we skip this talk right now and focus on the fight? "Right. Grab my hand."

"Excuse me? What part of 'sitting pretty right now' did you not understand? I'm ending this right now!"

Our argument could have gone on for a bit longer if it wasn't for the feeling of a shift on gravity. That was when Zidane and I realized the Zaghnol had left the ground and tried to throw us off by diving on its side. Time seemed to slow down as I watched my potions and dagger leave my hand. I don't know about Zidane, but the moment I saw my potion vials crack against the floor, I was thrown off my perch and landed harshly against the ground with my right shoulder getting the brunt of the landing.

The Zaghnol was still huffing and puffing as it tried to shift back to a vertical stance. I, on the other hand, was trying to crawl away from it and get my weapon back. I could hear the others still fighting, possibly getting in good hits while the monster as vulnerable. I can't let them take my points. If they kill it, my victory will not be guaranteed!

Keeping that in mind gave me enough energy to reach for my dagger. My everything hurt as I tried to stand. My back, my shoulders, even my hand stung in pain, but I could not let that hinder my focus even though I was once again seeing shapes only. Reaching into my pockets for another vial, I popped one open and drank it as I tried to get up. I stumble towards what I think was the Zaghnol, blurry orange and massive shapes, not even letting the potion settle and do its job as I approached with my dagger raised to strike.

I may have focused on my target too much as I didn't notice it swing around, chin-horns pointed out, to make everyone else back off. Since I didn't get the memo, I would have gotten slashed on the chest brutally if it wasn't for Alyssa pushing me out of the way. Her cry of pain filled my ears. If it weren't for Vivi's Fire spell blowing up on the monster's face, Zidane and Freya wouldn't have come to our aid.

The wild bull-like beast was not going to last long with the cuts, fire burns, and stab wounds it has around its body. With it disoriented from Vivi's latest attack, I wrestled myself away from Freya's arms and stumbled into a run at the beast. Ignoring the Burmecian's shouts and coming from its literal blindside on the right, I clutched the dagger with all my might and swung down on the side of its head. The roar nearly turned me deaf as it swung its head around, clocking me with its meaty face before turning around and booting me with a hoof to the nearest wall, where I almost could have sworn my spine gave out and cracked.

Looking ahead, I could still see where my dagger made a deep wound, a small trail of blood gushing from the side of its head. The weapon that caused it wasn't in my hands anymore, perhaps somewhere on the floor after the beast basically flicked me to where I am now.

The constant shouts of various voices felt distant when I propped myself against the corner of the wall. My mind is focused on the impending doom about to throttle me into the wall. I'm all kinds of hurt aside from bleeding from an open wound. At least I managed to put up a good enough fight, if you call mounting it and holding on for dear life as a good enough fight. People may remember me as the guy who was crazy enough to ride the Zaghnol. Not the best title I could have in my last minutes.

The others still involved in this fight tried to either rescue me or end the Zaghnol, only problem with that is the thing still wants to wreck more hunters. The moment Alyssa tried to run over to me, open wound on her back and all, the massive monster whipped around and hit her with her head, sending her flying a few feet. Zidane then came from the other side with the intention of using that moment of distraction as the opportune moment to grab me from my position. The orange beast reared back on its two hind legs with a roar with the attempt to flatten the ground with blond thief. Freya stepped in and tackled the yellow-tailed Tantalus member to safety.

Now its attention is immediately back to me. It huffed and scratched the ground before starting a head of steam towards me. I pulled out my remaining plain dagger for some stupid reason. I could barely lift it anyway, so why bother still looking to defend myself? Hey, if I am going to get killed, I would probably get killed looking like I at least tried to fight back.

I closed my eyes and leveled my dagger as the ground started rumbling, the mass starting towards me. I'm going to miss this world, even though I had the most stressful couple of days leading up to this. With all the action I've seen here I would be content thinking that I managed to help out a few times. Here's to my brief stay in Gaia.

…

…And for some reason, my body still has not yet been decimated. I don't feel relieved, but annoyed for some reason. My arm had already dropped to my side due to fatigue among other injuries. When my eyes opened, I was surprised to see what had happened.

The Zaghnol was down on the ground on its belly, its trunk-like hooves spread limply, head drooped over to the side as a trail of its blood started to come down its neck. Everyone in the fight had stopped moving, also trying to let the image sink in. Silence had blanketed the area, even part of the crowd spectating us in our district.

"It's…dead…" I managed to hear from a distant voice. My eyes instantly darted over to the dagger still implanted at the side of its neck, sticking out like a sore and poisonous thumb. Most of the blood gathering under that part came from it. It took a few moments for my brain to connect one to the other.

"I... think I…killed it…" It came out more of a question as if to make sure someone else can verify it. Nobody did, but from what I could tell no one else knew if they could. But verification was the last thing on my mind. "No…I killed... it. I killed it… Hahaha… I killed it! I FUCKING KILLED IT!"

My excitement made my blood pump hard enough for my adrenaline to kick in. My body bolted upright, normal dagger dropping from my hand down to the ground as I jumped to my feet and stumbled to the beast's body as I ignored my hurting back and stinging limbs. My foot immediately kicked it for a celebratory punt before pulling out the poisoned dagger. I could hear myself laughing as I surveyed the carnage. Someone would have to pay for all the damage that the monster had done to the Business District, but I didn't care.

You know why? Because I killed the damn Zaghnol, baby! YEAH!

\- Alyssa -

It first started out as complete silence until his realization kicked in. His eyes widened, a tone of uncertainty in his voice the first moment he spoke. It then turned from hesitation to a growing delight as he got up and stumbled over to the dead monster, inspecting the spot his dagger was before taking it. He was even mumbling to himself as how his previous statement sounded like he was asking himself a question.

Then he started laughing. "Hahaha! I did it! I did it! Haha!"

His adrenaline must've kicked in by now because what he did next was some sort of victory dance that even tired me out just by looking at it and ended with a pose with him screaming "YEEEEEESSSSSS!" to the heavens.

Blake had gone from slumped against a wall, struggling to breathe with the Zaghnol about to fillet him, to jumping in joy and doing victory laps around the dead body of the monster, shouting happily with his arms pumping up and down despite the blood running down his arm and his probably bruised body.

"YES! I DID IT! I FUCKING WON!"

He ran up to Vivi, put him in a hug and even spun him around, then went to me and did the same exact thing. His voice did not even soften as he continued screaming in delight. The guy even started going up on the Zaghnol's hump.

"I won! I am the champion! I am the BEST HUNTER IN THE WORLD!" He declared, thumbs both pointing to himself while his voice seemed to get louder the longer he continues to yell until his voice started breaking.

It's just...unbelievable that this happened. I know that I should be happy that this is finally over and for my friend that he did something that seemed so impossible, even for someone like him, but how do we know that he actually killed it? Should someone come in and actually say it?

It seemed like that same thought didn't cross Blake's mind as he just took the tag of the Zaghnol from its limp leg and raised it in the air.

"Ninety points!" Blake read the tag out loud. "NINE-ZERO, baby! I outscored every single. One. Of. You!" He even pointed to each of us, especially Zidane and Freya, probably because they have more experience in fighting and that he beat them. "This is proof that I am the victor! There's no reason to continue the Hunt now. It's over! I WIN! Everyone go back to your positions, ready the red carpet, the champion has been crowned!"

The two more experienced fighters walked up to the fountain where I was at with Vivi and the "best hunter in the world _"_. The apparent shock that they had at what happened seemed to have passed over as Freya was the first to speak to Blake.

"There's still time," Freya simply replies. "We can still contest the validity of your kill."

"Excuse me!?" Blake looked irked at the dragon knight's words. "That's not in the rules!"

"Besides, how do you even know that you killed it?" Exactly what I thought, Zidane.

Blake puts up the dagger in his hand. "This! I got it lodged into the thing's neck. Little did it know is that this dagger is laced with a poison that can make anything with a nervous system collapse in excruciating pain." He turns to the side slightly, lowering his voice. "Of course, I might be exaggerating things since I have no idea what properties this thing has," and he steadied his gaze on us, "but the point still stands. Magical dagger, mine, stabbed it many times. I killed it."

"My throws have been more precise and have hit more vital organs of the beast. The chances of it succumbing to the multiple critical wounds I have inflicted are high." To be fair, I'm not an expert on where the organs of a Zaghnol are or how many it had, but it really looked like every one of Freya's throws had purpose in a way that it hurt more compared to wild slashes and stabs.

Blake mimed a mouth on his hand as he directed his attention to the dragon knight. "I can throw rocks at a certain distance to know that each of them made it at least far enough! That's what your argument sounds like. You wouldn't even know that you hit important organs unless you do an autopsy!"

"Your logic does not make any sense whatsoever."

"Spears, rocks, same difference. Besides, I hit it last! I didn't see any of you hit it while you were so worried I might've died."

Zidane leaned a bit towards Freya. "He does have a point there…"

"You are making it worse!" The Burmecian hissed.

"Someone's a sore loser." Blake was certainly playing with fire as he scooted close to Freya and nudged her in the arm. "You just can't handle the fact that a mere salesman, a handicapped one at that, beat you at your own game."

"Okay guys, let's not do this right now..." Zidane tried to play peacemaker here, but that's kinda hard to do when he is the one who brought it up. Sorry Zidane.

While that is all happening, I feel someone stop and stand beside me. I look over and see Vivi gazing at the dead monster before turning his gaze to me. "Is it over?"

I took in a breath and let it out in relief. "Technically, not yet. But with the way Blake is celebrating and defending himself, he thinks he's won. He has enough points to outscore both Zidane and Freya combined." And he is doing that pretty passionately. I haven't seen him use up so much energy until now. Talking like that to someone with the kind of reputation Freya has would get them punched in the face, even if she has all the restraint in the world.

There is still time though. Around three minutes, give or take. Any monster could still waltz over here and ruin Blake's celebration by mauling any one of us. Not that I am wishing that on us, just saying that it could happen. If they want it so much, Zidane and Freya can still go out and eliminate more monsters before time can run out.

Congratulations to Blake for having the most points…Well unless they can clear up who actually killed it, I'm going to root for Blake. Why? Because he has the loudest voice between the three of them. It's quite a gamble for him to take. Was he even actually telling the truth about his reason? I don't know. I'll still try to get the truth out of him sooner or later, but right now we should get out of here.

I started to walk towards the air cab station with the intention of leaving for the Lindblum Castle where I'll wait for the others until the festival is declared over while inspecting my back. Good thing the cut was shallow, but the blood coming out of it was starting to stick to my shirt. Taking a potion from my satchel, and taking note that I only had about three left, helped with the pain as it started to feel better.

The argument between the supposed winner and the dragon knight seemed to have become one-sided as I can hear Blake just shouting his head off. Freya could barely be heard over him. That is if she is still taking part in it. I can just picture Freya standing in front of Blake, arms folded in front of her, as he ranted on and on until he exhausted himself. She would then simply show him what for with a quick physical demonstration.

My eyes went to look back at the scene to see if it was actually happening. It is halfway happening through, but it wasn't what caught my eye. It was the movement past them.

"Nah, I'm probably seeing things. Fatigue is getting to my head…" I told myself, shaking my head at the thought of a still conscious Zaghnol. "…Right?"

That caused me to double take. The orange mass started to stir off its side, head shaking while trying to get back on its hooves. It lifted its head from the ground and looked at our direction with a green glint in its only functioning yellow eye. Seeing that almost made me stumble, but before I could question what I saw, the yellow in its eye was back in full force. Did I really see something there?

How the four of them have not yet heard or noticed is beyond me. I say trio because I can see Vivi trying to get everybody's attention, but even the sensible thief was too busy restraining Blake as he challenged the dragon knight to a one-on-one fight. I see his 'glorious victory' has already gotten to his head.

"Oh shit…" I hissed. Drawing my sword, I started to run back to the group. "Everyone move!" It must have been Blake's shouting that made them not hear me. My sword was already in my hands as I neared them, making two of the four turn their heads to me.

"It's still alive!" I point past them as the beast stomped towards them, looking very hurt from all of the punishment dealt to it. All of them stopped arguing, except for Blake because he had his back turned to it, and realized that it wasn't over yet.

Zidane took Vivi by the collar and ran to the side to avoid its charge while Freya jumped away. Blake only realized what had happened after he was tackled from his spot by me when the Zaghnol was about to stomp him into pieces.

"What the hell!? Get…off me!" Blake demanded, pushing me away from him harshly.

"Sorry if I'm helping you stay alive!" I said, scrambling up to my feet, trying to ready myself for the Zaghnol's attack. It didn't help that my body couldn't bear all this action just when my adrenaline was starting to bow out and relax during Blake's celebration.

Even with all the damage it took and the blood it had lost from its wounds, it lumbered with a wild look in its only functioning eye. Blake wasn't even able to finish his angry mutterings of how he had everything in the bag when the Zaghnol tried to pound him into the ground once again. Thankfully, this time he was aware of what was happening and dove out of the way. Apparently it did not like the sound of Blake bragging a few minutes ago.

Then I was reminded about the time limit. How much longer is the Festival supposed to go on? I've forgotten with trying to survive and help out in this fight. Someone should have assigned a person to shout the remaining time. Surely it must be only a few minutes. So for this to end, we just need to stay away from being killed until time runs out. Just a few more minutes...

But from the looks of things, survival isn't the only thing on the minds of Blake, Freya, and Zidane. Blake was avoiding the beast and going back to where he was nearly skewered for some reason, Zidane was dodging its attacks and counterattacking, and Freya struck with precision with her spear as she jumped over it again and again. They really want to win. Vivi, on the other hand, was probably the smartest of the group as he stayed at a moderate distance.

"Stay away from my friends!" Vivi yelled. A fire spell blew at the orange monster and it did some damage. It also pissed it off as it headed for him next. He was rescued by Zidane before it could hit him, pulling him aside and telling him to stay out of sight. But that didn't mean he was safe yet as the monkey-tailed thief got attacked by it.

I saw the Zaghnol turn its head to Blake after slamming into Zidane. It charged towards him as he bent to pick up a dagger from the ground, only to be slammed by the Zaghnol with its large body. He nearly got impaled by its horns if it wasn't for Freya cutting at its face, saving him at the nick of time before pulling him away from the fight. He didn't appreciate the help and resisted.

My first instinct was to put Blake away from the fight, but that is going to prove a bit difficult if the Zaghnol sees me approach. It's a pretty open place so there isn't much cover. Might as well run in as fast as I can while Freya has its attention.

With sword in one hand, I tried to get to Blake, legs pumping hard in an effort to close the distance between him and me, going around the fight in order to not get caught in it. Despite its size, it sure was getting harder to hit from what I was seeing. The orange monster was wilder than ever, swinging around and using its weight to smash into things, making it hard for everyone to approach. When Freya jumped and tried the technique Zidane and Blake used, the monster was having none of it as it tried to shake her off by running around the place, jumping on its hooves and whipping around from side to side.

"C'mon, Blake! Get up!" I hissed as I pulled him up. He wasn't making things any better by just staring at me with a look of disdain.

"It's over. It was supposed to be over! I'm the winner, damn it!" He shouted at me, not being helpful as he laid limp on the ground.

"You can't win if you're on your back!" I tried to encourage him. I really didn't want to because all encouraging him would only make him throw himself into the fight until he DOES win. I just want him to make it out of here alive. And that can't happen if he's going to end up as a chalk outline in the street here.

The noise in the background started to sound worse. I looked over my shoulder to see if she was doing well, but the Zaghnol had a great idea at that moment. It whipped to the side and hit the fountain with its side, the very side where Freya clung to her spear. It broke due to the force the monster hit it. Freya dropped to the floor not even a second after it happened, her spear hitting the ground beside her.

"Freya!" Zidane cried after witnessing the huge crime of property damage being committed as well as his friend being knocked out. He tried to get to the unconscious dragon knight, only to be stopped by a piece of the fountain being hurled at him, nailing him square in the chest.

It didn't even skip a beat when it turned to our direction and rushed us head on. I had managed to get Blake up to his feet and it is going to be difficult defending the both of us when half of my body is being used as a crutch. While the thing was still charging at us, I pushed Blake towards the synthesis shop, where he toppled over the counter shouting an expletive, as I tried to meet the Zaghnol with my sword. I jumped to the side as it tried to cut me up with its chin blades and managed to get in some cuts on its left side. I was so occupied in attacking that I didn't notice it lift its back legs to hit back.

I flew back to the center of the plaza and landed in a harsh and slightly wet thud. I swear I'm going to die of internal bleeding before actually bleeding out or getting impaled. My arms felt numb, meaning I couldn't grab my sword. Translation: I'm defenseless.

"Hey!" With all the strength I could muster, I turn my head to the source of the voice. It was Vivi. And the space between both of his hands were...glowing? "I said stay away from my friends!"

"Vivi, NO!" That was Blake's voice. I barely saw him scramble over the counter and run towards the Zaghnol with his dagger in hand when something bright blinded me.

It was bright and hot at first that I had to put an arm over my eyes just to try and protect me from the sudden explosion. An ear-piercing roar almost shattered my ear drums. Trying to see through my fingers, I could see the Zaghnol falling to its side as its entire body was engulfed in a massive flame, its orange skin turning dark while some of its fell off. It was disgusting that I desperately backed away from it before I could throw up on it. In a matter of seconds, the Zaghnol was finally unmoving as the fire ate it up.

My eyes went to the black mage off to the side. The palms of his hands were pointed at the previously volatile monster. His gloves no longer glowed and looked normal. Even with the shadow blocking his face I could tell that the little black mage looked mighty surprised at what happened.

"Vivi…" My voice sounded like it was in awe. Of course it would be! I was just saved by Vivi!

Freya and Zidane saw what had happened and were struggling to get up. Zidane was up first, hand holding his front and winced with every move as he walked over to the black mage. Freya wasn't looking pretty hot either, limping towards me with the help of her spear.

"Are you alright?" She asked me, extending a hand to me.

"My everything hurts right about now." I replied as I took her hand and was pulled up. I struggled to balance myself, most of my body being numb and all, but Freya held me in place before I toppled down and brought her down with me. "Thanks."

"That was amazing Vivi. I knew you had it in 'ya!" Zidane patted Vivi on the shoulder, a grin on his face, hiding the pain he had suffered through the Festival.

A sudden horn started blaring through the air, prompting all of us to look around for the source. It seemed to have come from the Lindblum castle as even the spectators looked towards its direction. Applause soon followed it along with cheers from said spectators filling the air. Names were then shouted and cheered. Some I recognized, some belonging to the same people I am with now, Freya and, surprisingly, Vivi being some of them.

"The Festival is now over!" A voice boomed through the district. It might be one of the lead guards around here. "All hunters, please proceed to the air cabs to be delivered for the castle! All injured will be handled there. Please proceed to the castle."

But before we could celebrate the fact that Vivi had killed the mighty orange beast and that we had survived through this event, one of us had something to say.

"NOOOO!" Blake yelled as he fell to his knees in front of the Zaghnol. How is his throat not hurting yet? "Goddamn it! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" In a fit of anger, he slashed at the dead Zaghnol's neck a number of times and then turned to stabbing it while angrily shouting at it in frustration.

"Blake, calm down!" I walked over to him despite my body telling me how hurt I feel right now. I could collapse with one wrong step, but I was focused on my angry friend at the moment to care about my own injuries. Even when I was nearing him, he ignored my voice. "Blake! STOP IT!"

"I KILLED IT!" He screamed at me, throwing the 90 point tag to the ground, turning around with tears on his face. Wait. Is he... crying? "I was supposed to kill it! I...I did, but...it wasn't! I was supposed to win, damn it!" His sobbing turned his shouts into cries of defeat.

Even with his low odds of winning against a multitude of experienced hunters, he believed he could win on his own. He was so confident in himself that is was borderline crazy, he believed so hard that it hurt him knowing that he almost killed the giant monster with the biggest bounty on its head and was taken away from him when he least expected it.

Was everything he said earlier, about this being a chance to go home actually true then?

Right now I didn't have an answer for that. I just knelt beside him and wrapped my arms around him. He was still muttering "damn it all" against my shoulder as I tried to calm him down.

"Shhh...It's alright." I said to him in my softest voice. "You're alright." I could see Zidane and Vivi giving me concerned looked off to the side. They didn't expect Blake to just break down like that. Who would anyway? We didn't expect a lot of things from him today.

"I can't…go…home…now." I just let him mumble into my shoulder. Maybe he was telling the truth. But then that gives me all sorts of questions. Like how does he know winning would get us home? Eventually his mutter and sobbing seemed to soften. Then I heard something from him. "Whoa…that's a pretty…big cut. Wha…?"

I looked him down and only now noticed something red on his arm. It was an open cut on his left hand and it was bleeding badly! There was also something green. It looked like it was all around the wound. The weird thing about it is it pulsed every few seconds.

Then Blake fell lifelessly on his side.

"Guys! We need to get Blake to the castle right now!"

 


	24. Cross Roads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the Festival, where the road splits into two.

Of Lies and Fantasies

Chapter 23: Cross Roads

 

-Alyssa-

"Move! Get out of the way!" I basically shouted to anyone in my path. Guards, injured and uninjured hunters, even Dagger and Steiner when they saw me rushing out of the elevator.

"Alyssa, wait up!" I heard Zidane call from behind me. "Excuse us, move along. I said wait!"

The Festival of the Hunt had just wrapped and we were in the aftermath of it all. With a fighting competition comes a lot of things: dead bodies of monsters, some dead hunters (may they rest in peace), and serious bodily harm. I've had my fair share of deep cuts and sore limbs, but Blake got the worst of it. He had all of that and a large cut on his arm with green ooze that might as well look like he poisoned himself. Blake just couldn't catch a break.

We were told to come to the castle to have our wounds treated so I carried Blake, and man was he light, to the aircab in the Business District with Zidane, Vivi, and Freya in tow to get him to a doctor before he bleeds out or dies from the poison. Or both!

When I saw one of the guards directing traffic to a handful of people in the hall, I knew it was going to be hard to find anyone who can immediately help. So I racked my brain for a few seconds and instantly remembered one specific individual. My running down the hall and into the infirmary was greeted with a casual, yet cheery tone.

"My, my, still filled with adrenaline, are we?" I hear someone say. It belonged to the man in the opposite side of the room who had his back turned to me as he was having a chat with a nurse. The voice is familiar and it immediately reminded me of Blake's broken bone being set back in place. When he turned around, he saw me and greeted me with a smile. "Ah, Miss Forsyth, are you injured or unwell? And who is that limp fellow on your shoulders?"

"Dr. Thomas! Blake! Hurt!" I couldn't even get the words in a sentence because I was freaking out. But it looks like that the doctor figured out what I was talking about as he nodded to the bed beside him.

"Put the lad on the bed over there and we'll see the extent of the damage."

I walked briskly over to his side of the room and carefully put Blake on the bed. Dr. Thomas leaned down and inspected the wound. It looked worse than before we left aircab. Now it looked like there's this green puss around it, almost covering it. The bleeding still haven't stopped. I wanted to try and get him to drink a potion earlier, but Freya told me that he'd possibly choke if I did that.

"Oh my," The doctor's voice sounded calm, a bit of interest in his voice as he turned the arm. "This looks bad. How did he get such a laceration?"

"With this." My eyes goes to Zidane who stood at the doorway. He held a single dagger in his hand as he walked in. with Freya and Vivi close behind him. Looking at the dagger made something in my brain click, but I couldn't place what that thing is. One thing's for sure, that not the same dagger he used to cut at the Black Waltzes on our way here. "He was using this during the fight with the Zaghnol."

"You fought the Zaghnol?" Dr. Thomas asked me. Then he proceeded to clap for a second. "Congratulations on surviving such an encounter! Most of the time the massive beasts with the highest bounty tend to have a high hunter mortality rate. Thankfully, you and your friend did not contribute to those statistics this year."

That would be a good thing to know if my friend wasn't dying right now.

"He might have cut himself by accident during the struggle," Freya suggested. "He was not careful in handling such a blade."

That just puts a lot of questions out in the open. How did he even get that dagger anyway? Sure we got jobs on our own to get more money, but I doubt he'd have enough to buy a poison dagger. Even if he did, where would he buy one, the black market? The shops around here don't sell anything like this, especially weapons with secret effects. Or maybe he's taken his cover story to the extreme and actually bluffed his way to a black market connection… No way to find out right now though.

"Is he going to be alright?" Vivi had walked over to the unoccupied side of the bed and spoke up.

"He will be." It wasn't Dr. Thomas who answered, but the nurse he was talking to just a second ago. She was small and old. When she looked at me, I immediately recognized her as the old woman who we helped in the park. I didn't know she worked here. She and I would've probably crossed paths already. Maybe we have and that I wasn't paying attention. She continued to explain as she stepped forward and examine the wound with a fond smile across her lips. "It's not anything lethal. Just a poison strong enough to make anyone's nervous system collapse after a certain period of time when exposed to it as it burns through one's insides."

We were pretty quiet when we heard that.

"…That sounds extremely lethal." I let my thoughts spill out a few seconds later.

Dr. Thomas chuckled to make the atmosphere of the room loosen up. "My nurse here sometimes sounds too serious when she's joking." He smiled to himself as he gave the cut another look, having this weird gleam in his eye. "It does look pretty bad, but hopefully something we can fix."

"He's lucky that he'll still have his arm. Lucky man." The nurse finished as she patted Blake on the shoulder, eliciting a moan of pain from him. "There should be an antidote left somewhere in the castle storage that can combat this poison." And with that, she started to walk out of the room while the doctor whistled to himself as he went to his office for a bit.

Zidane put the dagger down on the side table near Blake's bed. "He's going to be fine, Alyssa."

I wanted to say something back at him, but I was just so focused on that wound and the green-turning skin and blood. I was probably worrying too much. But how could I not? I've never seen anyone get cut by a poisoned dagger and get poisoned in the process. Until now.

We didn't have to wait long when three other nurses accompanied the old lady, who carried a vial of green liquid in her hands, wearing all white everything. They were on Blake the instant they laid eyes on him, telling the rest of us stand back. They were an organized storm, efficient with their actions as they tended to Blake's handful of wounds, wiping the blood away as well as the green goop on his hand.

One of them went to us and asked if we were hurt as bad as Blake is. We were pretty much covered in our own cuts and bruises. He had a piece of paper in one hand and a pencil in another, walking around us and humming as he scanned the four of us. I'm pretty sure this was just their way of distracting us because I heard clattering by Blake's bed. Why can't they just let him drink an elixir or something!?

When Dr. Thomas came back with something that looks like an ancient version of an injection it only made me more anxious. It wasn't as sleek and transparent like the ones back home, what with its iron body, slightly bigger needle, and metal finger holes, but it still functioned like it should. He filled it up with the green liquid from the vial and injected some of it in the arm. Blake visibly winced when it started, only to relax a few seconds later when all of the liquid was gone.

"There you go! Antidote administered. Your friend shall now be alright." Dr. Thomas stated, putting down his injection beside the antidote bottle and the poison dagger. But even with what he said, the nurses were still at work.

"Um...he's still…" Vivi pointed out the untreated bloody cut.

"Patience," Dr. Thomas spoke before Vivi could finish. "Some people would just assume I let my patients drink elixirs, but those healing vials don't come cheap. I tend to lean more on the old fashioned way." He skipped (yes, he did skip) to his office and came back as quickly as he did with a small box at hand. "I'll be giving him stitches. Though he is going to receive a potion injection to help heal it."

I think I heard Vivi gulp when he saw the materials inside Dr. Thomas's box of surgical tools. I know I did.

"If you are squeamish, I would suggest you skedaddle now before the blood starts spraying." He told us, putting on a mask and a pair of gloves. The nurses around him did the same. "Simple potions don't completely heal cuts this deliciously deep. I'll have to sew it up first before giving him some." God, I hope Blake lives through this. He's going to be so mad that I brought him to this nut-job.

"Oh-kay! We're going!" Zidane said, taking Vivi with him, pushing him out of the door before the poor guy pays witness to his first surgery. I really hope he uses anesthesia this time. I felt a hand on my shoulder and see it is from the silent dragon knight, urging me to move.

Before we left though, the nice old lady came back and gave me the paper her colleague wrote on. It was a long list with our names on it with phrases like 'shallow lacerations' and 'bruises forming' on it.

"Show this to one of the medics outside. They should be able to patch you guys up while we deal with your friend." The old nurse told me as she patted the paper in my hand and offered a comforting squeeze on my arm.

The Burmecian nods to the medical personnel present, prompting a bow from the doctor before he prepared his tools. There were a few things on my mind, like asking the name of the nurse so I could thank her properly and how long until I could see Blake. I knew it's gonna take a while, so I gave Blake one more look and, with a sigh, followed Freya out. Blake isn't going anywhere if this were to follow his last time with the crazed medical expert. I'll just come back when I'm done getting checked out by the other doctors in the castle. Then I can ask the nurse's name when I come back. I'm sure she'll be around later.

This wouldn't have happened if he was just careful.

\- FF FF FF -

It was some odd thirty minutes of having a check-up with the other medics. They were clear that there was a clear distinction between doctors and medics because the doctors had their own rooms to treat their patients and had immediate access to more tools while the medics had their own tools and were temporary personnel for this event. Still, both were important to the hunters they were treating us.

Thankfully, all the life-saving they had to do was inspect the severity of our wounds, stitch us up, offer some cold packs for our bruises, hand us hi-potions to drink after a few minutes, and suggest we stay off our feet. Helpful advice like that. We didn't have anything near as serious as Blake's, but we were pretty battered. Vivi might've been the only one of us I knew who didn't have much to worry about in terms of injuries.

While we were being treated the guards started collecting the tags the hunters have collected throughout the whole event and began tallying the points. I couldn't help but look around the room full of excited hunters and huntresses who all wanted to know the result of the event. But I'm looking for a very specific hunter.

Maroon Jacket Man. Whatever his actual name is.

Even with number of people in the event, he's pretty ballsy to come waltzing over him and thinking no one would recognize him. I can't forget that look he gave me when he walked into the room. He was taunting me and he knew he was going to get away with it. If I see him in here or that guy he came in with then I'll make sure he pays for what he did to me.

But what are the odds he was here because of our group? He was definitely working in that underground manufacturing factory in Dali, meaning he probably heard about the cargo ship that was hijacked. If that's the case then it comes down to if he was ordered to come here to look for us or if he's simply here on his own time. Besides, another thing I had in mind was when he walked in here he was with that other guy. He was talking with him before and he looked like I've seen him before, and it sure wasn't in Dali.

I walked around the room in an attempt to see if any of them were still around, constantly having to shoulder through someone rubbing elbows with someone else they know or just happen to stand beside with while repeating 'excuse me' so I don't offend them. Unfortunately, I think I wasted my time doing this since I didn't see MJM or his plus one. I blew a lock of hair out of my face and turned to get back to my previous spot when I bumped into Zidane.

"You look like you're looking for someone. You found anyone tickling your fancy?" He asked as he stood on his toes to give a quick glance around us. I shook my head as a response.

"I think he got away already. And no, that's not why I'm trying to find him," I say, disappointed. "Remember our time in Dali? I think I saw the guy who nabbed me and took me underground."

That certainly got the thief's attention as his eyes slightly narrowed. One hand found its way to his chin, trying to think of something. "You've probably seen what they look like. We can ask the Festival officials if they can give you a name if you describe what he looks like."

I nodded, satisfied now that I have a course of action to help identifying this person. I don't know if the other he was with is an accomplice since I didn't see him in Dali and that he's also a new guy I've never laid eyes on even in the actual game, but he may be trouble if I don't ignore him.

"Let's just hope he's not part of anything big," I mutter to Zidane, who shared my sentiment since he didn't like having that guy to get away with something so mysterious in Dali connected to the kingdom of Alexandria.

The waiting eventually stopped and our attention went to the front of the room as a red armored guard came with Minister Artania in tow.

Minister Artania cleared his throat and it was enough to direct everyone's attention to him. "Strong warriors, intense fighters, cunning strategists! We congratulate every single one of you in your participation of today's events. But now is the time to honor the top ten participants of the Festival of the Hunt!"

The guards pushed in this blackboard through the doors. Numbers were arranged in increasing amounts, the top having 121 points. They didn't have names written beside them just yet. Probably part of the announcing the names who are part of the best of the best.

A lot of names were shouted by Regent Cid's second-in-command, following cheers and applause to recognize their hard fought efforts. Many of them took the first half of the rankings, most of them I didn't recognize. On the other hand there was Amarant, the mercenary I ran into, was seventh. He was leaning in the far back not even acknowledging the cheers he got from the hunters around him. Something was obviously bothering him though.

When they started with fifth place with 95 points, I was surprised to hear Blake's name. How in the world he managed to get that many points was one thing I'd need to get out of him when he wakes up. He was so close to winning that the Zaghnol really was the boost he needed for it.

Above him with 101 and 110 points were Vivi and Zidane. Our humble black mage nearly shrank from the response he got, but the thief was there to congratulate him for getting that high in the ranking, not even letting his loss take away that grin of his. I'm sure those 90 points he got in the last minute were a godsend to him. He got the last hit and the kill after that brutal fight we were in and he deserved it.

Second place with 118 points belonged to a woman announced as Belna. There was an even louder reception for her, who responded by thanking them. She had this beret-styled hat with a yellow feather on it over her short platinum blond hair, a light outfit with a dominant bright yellow and a side of black to compliment it, one that made it easier for her to stick and move with the longbow on her back. If I remember correctly, that name belonged to the champion the previous Festival. She was so close too with her being only three points behind. Quite the competitor that lady.

Finally, the winner with 121 points, which was a lot, probably double than what I had if I counted mine.

"...Freya! With an astounding 121 points!"

A wild round of applause was met with the entrance of the champion. She hid a limp well with the help of her spear, approaching the minister with her head held high. They shook hands as she was offered a hearty congratulations. The Burmecian bowed slightly to the crowd of her fellow hunters in front of her as Minister Artania was handed a box by one of the elite guards. He turned and presented the box to the winner of the Festival.

"We grant you your prize, the Coral Ring. The corals were said to shine victoriously in storms. It once belonged to Cid Fabool IV as part of his treasury during his time as leader of Lindblum. With this we grant you the title 'Master Hunter'!" The box is opened and Freya traces a finger against the corals on her prize. She pulls it out, briefly looking at it before putting it on one of her fingers. Once she turns and accepts the proclamation, the hunters erupt once again in a wave of claps and cheers. I could barely hear her thank the minister under the crowd's noise.

By the time everyone had calmed down, it was announced that the celebration would continue with a massive feast at the Residential District Park so we can join the citizens of Lindblum. That's after we're all sure we can move without flinching or groaning in pain. Sure some of the surviving participants were willing to ignore the pain, I didn't want to move much since my entire body was basically creaking. And I also didn't want to leave Blake behind without seeing him awake. We have a few things to talk about.

Everyone was slowly starting to leave, some offering their personal compliments to those who got in the top ten. The first and second placers had a brief conversation with each other. A few hunters took some time to praise Vivi, taking the boy a bit by surprise from the looks of it. Zidane's spending some time with Dagger, showing off his 'scars' while Steiner judged him just a few feet behind them. Even Nero was watching the princess and the thief talk. And here I was just standing there while trying to ignore my hurting joints. At least the cut on my back is gonna get better by the end of the day.

I was about to leave for the infirmary when I see Minister Artania walk towards me. I didn't have the princess beside me so it was a surprise to see him talk to me. "Miss Forsyth, good to see you are in good condition."

"Yeah, me too." I joked, rubbing my arms. We shared a brief chuckle until the minister continued.

"You and your friends are personally invited to the private celebratory feast upstairs. Princess Garnet insisted to have your company, save for your once again injured companion."

I nodded. A shame he's missing out on another feast because of injury. "I'm sure he'll appreciate me bringing something to eat later."

He hummed in the positive before excusing himself when an elite guard tried to get his attention. There was a mention of 'illegal devices in the field', but that's probably not for my ears. With a reminder to be prepared in an hour and to not be late, he left to talk with the other elite guards inside the conference room. Wonder what that's all about. Hope they get that fixed, whatever issue they're dealing with.

As I was about to go back into the conference room, I bumped into the second placer of the competition. She definitely didn't look as battered as my friends and I, definitely proof of how good she is in this type of competition. That and she's a ranged fighter. Don't need to get in close unless she had to pluck out the tags. After apologizing for not seeing each other, she adjusted her hair and hat while I offered a congratulatory hand.

"You were incredible out there. Second place with 118 points!" I didn't see her in action with my own eyes, but it doesn't take a genius to see someone with skill in her current condition.

Belna took my hand and shook it, a humble smile meeting mine. "You can't win everything. Thank you though. You never know when such skills will come in handy."

I can't help and feel a bit ashamed and excited at the same time. Here I am, shaking hands with a celebrated fighter when I have no idea who she is. I dunno whose fault it is, either the guys who made this game for having such a character be a throwaway name only or me for even trying to meet her after the event like a star struck and clueless girl. I'm excited because this will be the only time I might be able to talk to a two-time winner of the Festival of the Hunt. That's like having a chat with a two-time winner of American Idol.

Even now, because of my current predicament, I'm not sure if that's happened yet. But whatever, moving on.

I was about to ask her about how she got all those points and what her strategy was when her head snapped towards the door. At that moment, this one fateful guy, all worn out, bloodied and wounded, ran in, trying not to stumble on himself with raspy cries for help. There were lots of gasps, shocked faces at the man struggling to walk and breathe as he tried to reach Minister Artania. Freya was the first to move, catching the man before he could fall to the ground.

"Regent…" I had to walk over, following Belna as she stood over to the side so she could hear whatever was happening now. Even if I could barely hear the soldier's raspy voice, I knew things are about to get worse for all of us. "I need….to speak to the….Regent. News…from Burmecia. From our...king."

"Please help this man up and bring him to the Regent immediately!" Minister Artania ordered the guards present in the room. I could see the confusion on the faces of my friends as to what we were witnessing, but Dagger looked like she wanted to know more. As the guards were picking up the injured soldier to aid him in meeting with the Regent, Dagger followed behind her uncle with the rest of our party trailing close to her. I had to excuse myself so I could follow them.

While everyone was trying to sort out the mess and surprise our Burmecian friend brought with him, I looked around as I pulled my item bag close to me. Reaching in and pulling out the letter I had written days ago, I figured this would be the time for me to stow this so it can be found and brought to the Regent, hopefully after we've left. But where…?

We passed the fountain room, the first welcoming sight our party sees on our first time here. A lot of people pass by here, mostly castle guards and staff that a lone letter on the ground should alert them, but not immediately while I'm still here. So I look for a nice, safe spot while the others were waiting for the elevator to come down.

An elite guard stood across the fountain, leaning on his lance while his head nodded silently. He's either thinking very hard or napping on his feet. I took a chance and waved in front of him and when that didn't cause him to move, I decided to put my letter on him. Looking behind him, there was a loose spot in his armor. I carefully inserted my letter between the cracks in his armor in the hopes of not waking him up. When I thought it would be secure enough to not fall prematurely, I made sure it wouldn't move before moving myself along to where everyone else was just as the elevator arrived.

Why now to hide the letter instead of before the Festival? Someone would surely find it and bring it to the Regent while we were competing. They'd surely inform everyone in the castle once it's read and hope to enlist some of the competitors to help. It'd be better if we were already out of the kingdom before that happens so our team would not know about it. I want to help the city so they are prepared for the worst, but I also don't want to steer everything else off-course. Anyway, focus on the wounded soldier for now…

The elevator couldn't go up any faster than it could. Even with offered healing items and magic for the wounded Burmecian, he was practically too battle damaged to get proper healing. His cuts were too deep, the burns singed almost every layer of his skin. It's a miracle he even got here. I couldn't help but look away. It was too much to see, too hard to stomach, too unfortunate that any help we can offer right now wouldn't save his life.

With the greatest care and urgency, he was carried to the throne room, where Regent Cid observed his city through a window until all of us arrived. His first reaction was a polite, "Yes?" and then a series of surprised oglop-y noises as he jumped towards the soldier until they were face-to-face. "What happened to this man!?"

"I apologize for the intrusion…I bring…urgent news from…our king."

"The King of Burmecia?" Regent Cid asked. The soldier nodded as he tried to get back up. The Minister approached the Regent with a look of worry. They traded words in a hushed tone, clearly about his appearance and how it didn't matter because of the soldier's wounded eyes. When he was told to continue, the soldier took in a breath, struggling to maintain his stance amidst his numerous cuts and burned attire.

"Our kingdom is being attacked by some unknown force! We are severely outmatched! Please send reinforcements immediately…!"

An air of uncertainty filled the room. A kingdom attacked? Who would do such a thing so suddenly? There were murmurs of various guesses as to what was attacking the city that always rained. But the guesses were unnecessary. They'll know in a minute who was responsible behind the attack and their methods would not be popular with a specific black mage in the room.

When the Burmecian soldier got his breath back, he looked up to the Regent and continued.

"The enemy looks like an army of mages wearing...steeple-crowned hats."

Anyone in the room who was not Vivi instinctively turned their heads to the only person who shared the only person in the room who shared that description. Mage-looking with a steeple-crowned hat. That caused the castle guards to shuffle back and hold their weapons at the ready, looking at the soldier and their ruler for a word or an order. Vivi just looked very nervous at the stares he got. I walked over to him and knelt down beside him.

"Vivi, it's going to be okay. Just don't think about it for now." I tried to calm him, putting a hand on his shoulder. The look of his glowing yellow eyes was a mix of shock and anxiousness. Whatever is going his mind has to be centered on the black mages being made in Dali.

The next sequence of events just went by as the soldier passed on the spot as the Regent promised to bring reinforcements to the kingdom under siege. The room was cleared of the body and any other curious individuals not close to the Regent since the upcoming discussion should only be privy to certain people.

And due to my connection to the people who helped bring Dagger to Lindblum, I found myself standing beside Vivi as Regent Cid discussed how to deal with this problem with Alexandria possibly strong-arming Burmecia to surrender to its black-mage-powered might.

Freya tried to convince Cid to let her go to her hometown alone due to Lindblum's forces being too tied up at the moment because of the Festival and the additional spying/watching over of the kingdom of Alexandria and looking the other way to help out Burmecia would only be a detriment for Lindblum.

Zidane then tried to tell Freya that she shouldn't come alone to something so dangerous, that she'll need all the help she could get. Vivi also added himself to the group journeying to Burmecia since it's connected to him. I guess I should add myself here too.

I put a hand on Zidane's shoulder stepped forward. "As a friend of a friend, I'd like to help out too. Three people won't be enough to stop whatever's happening in your hometown."

Zidane turned to me, eyebrow raised with concern. "Are you sure? You're still pretty battered from the Festival."

"Very sure. Besides, we might see _him_ there." My emphasis immediately clued Zidane in and he immediately figured it out.

"What about Blake?" Vivi asked me.

"Do you mean the boy you brought in with the broken wrist and the one who is resting in the infirmary?" Minister Artania spoke up, frowning. "Even if he wants to join you in your journey to Burmecia, allowing him to do so would be go against our conscience."

He did have a point there. Sure, he's unconscious now and sick with poison, but I'm sure he'd like to follow the story with whatever it takes. If a recently broken wrist didn't stop him from entering the Festival, some poison won't stop him from taking part in the next portion of the plot.

"I can ask him when he wakes up. He'd like to hear about this. He cares too, you know." Zidane nodded understandingly.

The rest of the people in the room continued discussing who wants to go and why. Freya, Zidane, and I have already said our piece. Vivi is immediately involved because of the black mages the soldier witnessed attacking his home country. That ups the count to four people in our current party. We should be able to add Quina to our forces if we pass by the Marsh on our way to the grotto.

Dagger wanted to join us because of the conspiracy we discovered in Dali. Of course, the gentleman he is, Zidane tries to persuade her to change her mind since she is an important person to Alexandria and that walking into a tense political scenario would be detrimental to her own health. Once she realized that she wouldn't be joining them, she tried to argue that Alexandria was her kingdom and that she has to do something about possibly stepping into war with the other nations. That didn't do her any good too since everyone else had made up their minds about it. She looked absolutely crushed that she couldn't do anything about it. Being helpless when you can do something about it is the absolute worst.

I can absolutely relate. When you have all this helpful information about the events of the entire game and someone else doesn't want to share that information, you really won't like it if you're forced to sit on your thumbs and watch the events play out right in front of you. That's what happens when you're transported into a world from a game you've finished playing before.

But Dagger did do something about it, or plans on doing since it hasn't happened yet. Like her, I have something in mind. My thoughts go to the letter resting in that guard's armor. The regent will read what I've written down in that letter and he'll be anonymously informed of the danger Alexandria will bring to Lindblum in the near future. And the best part of it all, Blake won't know.

As I mused about this, the discussion had started to transfer to waiting for the gate leading to the route to Burmecia to open. In the meantime, we had a feast to attend to.

The others started to leave the room and wait for our food to be served, but I stopped beside the princess and her knight. A familiar black feathered chocobo stood at her side, looking up at something on her belt, kwehing faintly. I look over to her and see a bit of anguish on her expression.

"I'm sorry they won't let you come with us," I spoke up, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not fair." Dagger shook her head. "How come you're able to join them when I can't? Surely Mother would listen to me if I were to come if she really is behind the attack."

"This is a very serious political matter, Princess." Steiner addressed her. "Freya is a dragon knight, thus it is her duty to protect her home from any danger that threatens it, even if the allegation of Alexandria being connected to it is indeed true. That monkey is being tasked to follow her plain and simple while Master Vivi and Alyssa do not have any political ties to any sides. Our presence there is unnecessary or it may complicate matters. We must deal with the situation with discretion."

Truer words couldn't have been said any better. Thanks for that, Steiner.

As we begin to leave for our destinations, which mine was to go check on Blake after making sure with a medic or doctor that I'm okay to go and fight, Dagger seemed to remember that the chocobo could now go back to Blake since the Festival is over. I volunteer to take Nero off of her since I'm going to Blake anyways while he has other things to worry about, like sabotaging a feast for example.

So I take the pouch Nero has been eyeing for the past minute now, which reeked of gyashl pickle, as Steiner told me, and headed off to see my friend.

\- FF FF FF -

Soon the hunters went back to the medics and left once they were done. I would usually follow the advice of anyone with knowledge of medicine and health, but I am too set on going back to Dr. Thomas and checking back on Blake if he's okay. So the moment the medic was done, I hopped off the chair I was sitting on and went straight to the elevator. Eventually I reached Dr. Thomas's room with Nero in my arms.

The inside of the room was just like how it was before we left. Dr. Thomas was off to the side, his back turned to me while he was busy at a sink probably cleaning his things. There were no nurses in sight either. Blake was still in the bed we put him in, this time looking a lot calmer than the struggling expression he had earlier. His head was turned slightly to the side, snoring lightly as we approached. Good to see he's not in pain anymore.

The doctor must have heard me come in, or probably Nero being noisy, either way he turned around and gave me a short little wave before going back to his jolly humming. I saw him put away a kind of circular cutting device, something that reminded me of a pizza cutter, and shivered for some reason.

Dr. Thomas then finishes up as I take a spot beside the bed of Blake, making sure that I am on the side away from the doctor. He then began talking about Blake and how he is going to be alright now that his wound's all covered up and that the bleeding stopped. He might get sick eventually, saying it's his body's way of removing some of the poison in his system that wasn't dealt with by the antidote. Now he's just all 'tuckered out', as the weird doctor said, and is just resting now.

Looking down at his inflicted hand, the big cut across his palm that had the green ooze was now clean and stitched up. Gotta wonder how in the world he cut himself during that fight since there's a lot of times he was reckless in it. Hopefully he learns from this and becomes more cautious and careful in future fights with massive monsters.

But thank goodness he's going to be fine. I can finally relax. The doctor finished his cleaning and walked out of the room to see if the other medics need any sort of help, leaving the three of us alone. I picked up Nero and held him into my arms after putting a chair beside the bed.

Nero just said 'kweh' as he looked the person he thought is his parent. I pet the top of his head down his neck to his back as I wondered what to say to the unconscious boy. What to ask first, what to tell him, what to plan about or something. Major plots are about to happen and we need to know what to do about it.

Though that makes me think back to what he always says. That we don't need to change anything that happens in the game as it happens now. I disagreed with him, hence the letter I wrote to the Regent, which I'm hoping would get to him after we leave. He thinks like that because knowing the future gives us an advantage, sometimes to the point of letting terrible things happen when we could stop them instead.

But I feel like we can still have these things happen but have a better result than the game gives us. I am hoping that a lot of people can be saved from the attack on Cleyra and Lindblum in Disc 2. Things will be less bleak if that happens. Let's just hope the Regent manages to make an effective plan to do it.

The question now is: What would Blake's reaction to this be?

"Shut up...Can't a guy get some rest…?" Blake's weak groan brings me out of my thoughts.

"Blake! You're awake!" I couldn't help but say. He turns his head to the side I'm sitting at and looks at the chocobo on my lap with a frown.

"Ugh...I wouldn't be if...that thing wouldn't stay silent. Give him a pickle or something." He replied with a slight shake of his head. He then looks up to me. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? I'm here to see if you're alright. Why wouldn't I do that?"

"Thought you would be doing something else. Geez, why does she care so much…?" The last part came off as a whisper when he looked away briefly. My first reaction was give him a funny look.

"Even after that fight you're still talking to yourself." Something might have gotten dislodged in his head or something. Then again, he's been doing that since I met him. Something's probably been dislodged there for a long time.

"I have no idea...what you are talking about," He said back, now aiming a frown at me. "God I feel like hell. And nauseous." He added by putting a hand on his stomach.

"That's what happens when you enter the Festival of the Hunt so suddenly."

"It wasn't sudden. It was planned...Even though it didn't come from my head." Again, last part was probably him thinking out loud again. And speaking of the Hunt…

"So if you didn't plan it then why bother be in there the first place?" I ask him. And just to appease him, I pull out a single pickle from the pouch as fast as I can, after covering my nose, and tied it back tightly. A single pickle didn't smell as bad an entire pouch so that was nice.

He leered at me for even thinking of asking that. "I have a better question. Why would you bother entering just to see that maroon man again? Wouldn't it be better if he didn't know you got out?"

That's far from my actual reason of entering. I thought I could get better in fighting monsters by entering, but then the unexpected happened.

_He_ just happened to be there. MJM. But even then I think he already knew that I got away. How would you not notice a girl that was tied up not being where you last left her? "I didn't know he'd even be there. But when I saw him, I just thought I could catch him off-guard and...I dunno, probably interrogate him or something…" I actually haven't planned out what would happen if I did catch him in the middle of the Festival.

"And this is why I do the thinking between us." Blake said with an air of annoyance.

"Yeah, well what about you? What's your excuse?"

"Why do you need to know so much?" He raised his voice, but it only made him cough due to the exertion of his tired throat. "I entered, I lost, I nearly died, and that's it." He turned his back on me at that. He sounded so frustrated with his quick summary of the events that it definitely tells me something is up. And I still wanted answers from him.

I walk around the bed, Nero still in my arms, and faced him. "Don't you trust me enough to tell me? We're supposed to be friends."

Blake scowled at me. "Friends? The only reason I know you is because of a lengthy car ride to the beach that my sister dragged me into, causing me to get struck by lightning and ending up here. I don't know you and you don't know me, and for what it's worth, nothing would have changed if things went on normally without that lightning strike. Then we wouldn't be here together if you didn't talk me out of taking a taxi home." He then put his back to me again and grumbled to himself.

I took a step back at his short rant. It's true that we don't know much of each other, save for the fictional backstories we made up in the Evil Forest. He probably thinks that I only consider him as a friend because he's the only person here I know in real life, which is kinda true. All we've talked about are ways to make sure we fit in.

But maybe it's time to change that…

I moved a few steps towards the bed and sat on the small space near his back. Before Blake could protest that I'm taking his space, I interrupt him. "Do you remember when we were talking about backstories?"

His head didn't move but he answered in a tone that audibly told me of his annoyance. "Yeah. I almost had to think one for you."

"Well what I said isn't exactly fake," I said to him. That got his attention as he slightly looked over his shoulder, as if asking me what I was talking about with that look on his face. "Everything I said back then actually happened to me. I just…changed some facts to make it fit in the setting."

"So then…"

"My parents are actually not there anymore and my grandparents have taken care of me ever since then. It may have been a long time ago, but I still feel terrified when I wake up in the middle of the night. My brain would think those robbers were still in the house and I'd start panicking like I was little girl again, crying out to the parents I used to have. I used to drink sleeping pills every time, but I've gotten better enough to not rely on them." The gun fire, the sound of a struggle in the midnight hours, the feeling of darkness enveloping me in that basement. The memories of those times were really the last thing I needed to remember right now, but I just wanted to make Blake understand that he needs to trust me. "Not a lot of people know that about me because they'll only treat me different than how they do now. So that's a touchy subject to deal with."

"But….why did you tell me this when I was asking you to make a fake story?"

"Because you were pressuring me so much and when you mentioned 'dead family' it was the first thing to pop into my mind even though it's the truth." Remembering them again was making me tear up. I had to look away so he wouldn't see the tears. "Honestly, I couldn't think of a big lie like yours, so I just rolled with the truth." After sniffling and wiping away the tears, I put a hand on his shoulder with Nero kwehing to him, hoping that this drives home my point. "See? I trust you enough to know that about me. Can you do the same for me?"

Then we were silent. I waited for a response as he stirred in place, probably thinking a little too hard for a situation like this. He's been incredibly annoyed and easily aggravated lately ever since the fight with the third Black Waltz. I can't figure out if he just let me belt out my thoughts and ignore it or if he's really considering it. But with a hand irritably scratching the top of his head and an audible sigh, he adjusted himself so he was fully looking at the ceiling.

"Ugh...the trust card. So fucking clichéd." He swore under his breath, like the statement wasn't even aimed at me. Dishing out another sigh, he shakes his head and continues. "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but I guess I could say a few words about it…"

"Thank you." Relieved that he budged, I went back to my seat and prepared to hear out what his reasoning is. He sat up and put his back against the top of the bed, giving me an uncomfortable look as he stared at the dagger on his bedside. He let out another breath before starting.

"Someone else possibly… might be…definitely knows about us."

"...What?" It was the only thing I could say at that statement. "Sorry, what was that? I mean...how?"

"There's a person out there that knows about us, Alyssa. They know why we're here and how we got here."

"...But how?" Blake and I have been careful, right? We haven't even gotten to the second half of the story and someone already knows our secret.

Blake sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I just don't know. I wasn't able to get that information unfortunately." So there's not much he knows about this person. But how is this connected to what we were talking about earlier? I ask him this and he continues talking. "I was in the Festival of the Hunt because I thought this person would help us get back home if I won. I guess we're not going anywhere since I lost. Well, until we figure things out."

Then his reaction when the Zaghnol was killed by Vivi was because he was denied a way back home…Now it makes sense! All the crying and the frustration were for losing. Killing the Zaghnol was a guarantee that he would win the Festival. But somehow the deal of making a one-handed man fight in an event like this was definitely unfair. His broken hand was a handicap he had to deal with, being not a perfect hundred percent in terms of condition kinda set him up for failure. Then maybe this person put Blake's hopes up and knew it would be a losing battle. But Blake still tried and came so close.

"Did you think that it would've been impossible to win the Festival in your current condition?" I asked him, wondering if the thought had crossed his mind.

"I had a chance to get us back home before anything crazy happened to this world." Blake answered, his tone distant. "I was willing – I _AM_ willing – to take any chance I can get, even if I have to cheat or cut off my own arm. I just want to get away from this madness."

"But, why? You would've gotten yourself killed in your condition…"

"Did you not hear me? I would've done whatever it takes to get home!"

"Even if you die?"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. You gotta make some sacrifices to get what you want." He gives the splint on his right arm a solemn look before breaking away from the conversation once again.

I became silent after that. Here I was taking part in a competition just for the hell of it while my friend was trying to win a way back to Earth. I guess he's more focused than I am.

With what I've learned from Blake now, I'm very surprised with how mentally prepared he is, how committed he is to getting home. I haven't even done anything remotely close to finding a way home. All I want is to help Zidane and Dagger's fight with Kuja be easier for them, though that's difficult to do without being spoileriffic or revealing who I really am. I guess he really is the brains of this operation.

"So what now?" I ask him, fidgeting in my seat. I wasn't sure if Nero was feeling discomfort after standing on my lap for quite some time now so I set him up on the bed. He waddled over to Blake's lap, flapping his dark wings for balance while the boy gave a surprised grunt.

"We move on with the plot. I'm sure the Regent has received the news already."

Yeah he has. I tell him what I've seen happen while he was unconscious. After announcing that Freya was crowned the victor, the fated Burmecian soldier came in all wounded asking help in the name of Burmecia before dying. I wasn't sure what to do at that point because the party divides into two before disc 2 and I didn't know where I would go, but with the possibility of MJM being where the black mages are made me want to go with Zidane. Blake just nodded and let me finish before even speaking.

"We're at a cross roads at this moment. We have to decide which one to take." He put his okay hand on his chin as he began thinking. "Do you really want to go after this 'MJM'? I'm all for getting answers, especially this weird guy we don't know anything about, but him working in that facility in Dali could only mean he's in league with Alexandria and, possibly, Kuja."

I nodded. "Yeah. I still want to pay him back for knocking me out."

"I, on the other hand, don't want to take part in any fighting as much as possible. Don't want to take any more unnecessary risks right now. Going with Zidane's group is going to guarantee a fight with the mighty Beatrix. Twice. That's two more fights against Beatrix I don't need." I almost forgot about Alexandria's unbeatable general. She mostly curbstomps the group whenever they prove to be more of a nuisance in fighting them. Dunno how I could handle that.

"I'll take her on. Sacrifices, right?" I say to him with determination.

"Alright then. I'll help Steiner escort the princess to Alexandria while you, Zidane, Vivi, and Freya storm Burmecia and get beaten to the ground by Alexandria's most elite." I didn't like how he phrased what we were going to do. It was like he wanted some joke on my expense.

"But I wonder, if MJM is already here and might be connected to Kuja and Alexandria then does that mean that the plotlines could have changed?" I couldn't help but ask him.

"We don't know yet. As far as we know there might not be any changes that have happened yet. Even our involvement might have changed something here." True, we weren't in the original story so that means we might have changed something somehow.

"I don't even think we should rely on the plot anymore since there might be changes…" I wondered out loud. That prompted Blake to object and stare incredulously at me.

"Don't start this again, Alyssa! We have to follow everything to the point. We have to make sure everything follows the plot!" His only able hand runs through his head as he sighs.

"But now the chances of events being the same to having some things change are pretty even." I argued. "We've spent a week here in Lindblum when compared to the game everything that happens here would only be covered somewhere in the range of two to three days. My involvement in getting Vivi kidnapped by MJM, also a big change instead of random people from Dali, definitely meant there's some change we instigated. Hell, I even took one girl's spot in the Prima Vista and I never knew if that was just convenient that she happened to disappear. Can't we just accept that following the plot will eventually veer off rails?"

"No, not yet. If we let things change so recklessly then we lose our advantage in predicting the future. That's why we have to make sure everything goes smoothly. The moment we have no future to successfully predict is the moment we lose. I don't want to lose anymore..."

Just going by that reaction, he is not going to love my way of warning the Regent of the upcoming attack. He might even hate the fact that I tried to change something without informing him of it. Then he leans forward with a leer on me.

"Why do you even keep on thinking that we should change things?" He interrogates me. I hold up my hands in defense as I lean away.

"W-We could, um, help more people that way, prevent lives from being lost, and stop Kuja faster." I state my answer to him. HIs leer only deepens.

"Why are you being so selfish? Do you really want to be a hero so much? This is not the time or place to have any sort of delusions. Think of the bigger picture here." He reprimanded me of my thoughts, even adding a wagging finger at the end.

"What bigger picture are you even talking about?" I demand, but for the following argument, I drop my voice to a low volume just in case someone walks by and hears us. "We're just strangers from a different universe with knowledge about events that are happening right now. The bigger picture is the safety of the entire world from destruction. Imagine this, alright? More people are safe and alive, Lindblum could prepare for the upcoming catastrophe, Terra might not blow up, and we might stop Kuja before disc 4. What else would be the bigger picture?"

Blake sat up further on his bed to glare at me despite struggling with the lingering poison in his system. "Don't you realize how much of a disadvantage do we have? Dagger has her white magic, Vivi has black magic, Steiner and Beatrix have their own sword skills, Zidane and Kuja are basically angels of death, and I have no idea how powerful Garland himself is. And we don't know if we can Trance or not! We're just normal people and all we have is information! If you didn't know, information is power. As long as things don't change, we have the upper hand against everyone and that is going to help delay any sort of unforeseen danger while we look for a way home."

I wasn't able to ask him as he glared back at me before lying back down on the bed, a hand petting the chocobo now resting on his chest. "We're done here. You go with Zidane and I go with Dagger. That's final. You can tell me more about MJM once we escape from the cave worm in the underground tunnels of Alexandria." Once he was done speaking, he looked away and shooed me away towards the door. "Now don't you have a feast to take part in?"

He may have not seen the frown on my face, but I sure hope he felt it. I pushed back my chair and marched out of the room, one inquisitive kweh following me from the chocobo being petted.

Who does Blake think he is anyway? Why does he suddenly have the authority to dictate what we should do?

That wouldn't matter now anyways. I've put my own plan to motion. All I can hope is the regent have a proper evacuation plan as well as a way to help Burmecia and their people before catastrophe strikes. Right now, I have to get myself knocked out by eating the sleeping-weed-infested feast provided for us.

I only take a few steps out of the room and I accidentally bump into someone the second time in the span of an hour. Instead of a highly skilled huntress this time, I'm left staring up at Zidane.

"Zidane?" I was about to ask him what he was doing here, even though I was thinking that he was here to get me for the private feast with the Regent, when I noticed his eyes wandering over to the infirmary door. He looked like he was as surprised as I am to see him here…

Oh no… When he responded to my widened eyes with a guilty smile, I knew Blake and I were in deep trouble.

"Look it's not what you think." He raised his hands defensively as he took a step back, his voice was soft like a whisper.

"How much did you hear?" I hissed, following him one step at a time. When he rather take more steps back without a word instead of answering, I grabbed his shirt and asked again. "Please tell me. Please."

"'Th-That you're just normal people and information is power' up to when you walked out. That's all I heard." He finally answered. I didn't let him go, but I dragged him away from the infirmary to a hallway where I was sure we were both alone.

_'Shit! Shitshitshit!_ This is not how I wanted it to happen!' I thought to myself. It's pretty much inevitable for anyone to find out who we really are, but I didn't want to happen like this! I wanted to have the time to get them comfortable, to answer their questions with proof, to have all the time in the world to explain everything. We already have a problem about someone knowing about us and not knowing how they found out. I don't want to add to that right now! _'This is bad. Very bad!_ '

We stopped at an empty hallway. This wasn't enough to make sure no one else would hear. There were a few doors to choose from and I picked one at random, pulling Zidane inside after looking in to see if there were people in it. Thankfully it was just some random medical storage room. I closed the door and was now left in an awkward stare down with the thief.

"I can explain." If only it were that simple.

"Blake gave me a feeling that he was hiding something since he's a pretty shifty guy. All that mumbling he does when he thinks no one is listening. He moved out of the castle when people normally would pay and arm and a leg to be that close to the Regent. Just a couple of days ago I saw him running around town for some reason. The guy's in the top 10 in the Hunt and I definitely know he's not the capable in a fight. At first I thought you guys were having a fling together and just didn't want to admit it." Zidane crossed his arms, the surprise written all over his face earlier have calmed into curiosity. "I just hope that whatever you're doing isn't connected to the attacks on Burmecia."

I shook my head strongly. How in the world did he jump from a secret love affair to aiding in a war? "God no! That's not it. It's just… Everything's super complicated right now. But we have nothing to do with that, I swear." We stare at each other for half a minute. I'm hoping that he'd take my word. He's probably trying to guess what we're hiding. "You've gotta believe me. I would love to explain everything in full detail, but the timing's just not right."

He's silent again, his tail waving back and forth behind him as he thinks it over. If he's not convinced I can just warn him of Dagger escaping, but probably not the whole being tricked with sleeping weed. He'd definitely stop her if he knows about that. Either that or I can tell that story he tells Dagger later in disc 2 about his past before Tantalus. He'll believe me then. I just hope he won't be too curious—

"Alright, I believe you." That snaps me out of my thoughts. He drops his arms to his side and shrugs. "I didn't really understand what you guys were arguing about, but from what I heard it sounded serious, especially when Blake sounded that angry about going home when his home is supposed to be here. No use guessing right now if I don't have the full context." He started walking towards the door, only to stop when I get in his way.

"I know this sounds weird, but can you keep this as a secret between the two of us?" He tilts his head when he hears my request. "Like I said earlier, it's complicated. Sorry."

Zidane sighs, but nods anyway. "Alright, alright. But you're gonna have to tell me details later if I'm gonna have to travel with you. Can't help thinking I might regret bringing you along if you're keeping secrets."

"Yeah. Thank you." Finally with the both of us in agreement, I stand aside and let him open the door.

As if I needed to have matters complicated. Now someone in the party got a whiff of our secrets. To think this would've been less stressful if I mentioned this to Zidane, or Vivi at least, earlier when we had free time before the Festival. This is going to have an effect in the future, I bet on it and it won't be a good one. Now I'm just trying to forget it for now and make myself look less stressed as we headed for the Regent's private feast.

\- FF FF FF -

We'd taken all our spots around the long table in the Regent's throne room. Everyone stared at the various dishes being carried over from the kitchen, prepared by the best chefs hired by the kingdom, may they be Qu or human or animal person. Their smell was almost enough to tempt me to grab one of the plates and just dig in. Zidane was even getting his gloves off so he can literally grab anything in front of him. So far he hasn't given me a curious look since we got off the elevator. Regent Cid had hopped on a customized oglop-certified high chair to start his salutations, sharing that the Festival has been done through tradition for many years before urging us to eat with our hands.

Well, my people have been known to eat with just their hands. I'm basically in my own element!

Our festive mood was on the high and up, trying to put the Burmecian crisis aside for now so we can stomach taking part in this feast. Freya still looked calm and collected, but I can't help and think that she's just waiting for that gate to be opened and get out there to help her hometown. But for now she should think about other things. Like how good this butter-fried shrimp and turkey leg tastes!

Everyone else seemed to be having a good time. Zidane had his plate stacked with various food, Vivi was taking his time getting to know each dish, and even Steiner was trying to finish his initial serving before getting more. Only Dagger seemed to be hesitant in digging in her own plate, despite knowing it didn't have any of her dastardly trickery sprinkled on it. Kinda hard to ignore her staring at her plate when she's right beside me.

"Dagger, you alright?" I asked in a low voice so to avoid attention from the others. "You haven't touched your food. Not hungry?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking," she answered with an attempted smile. She took up her utensils and started to eat a small piece from her plate. I guess she's doesn't like eating right now.

I offered a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know things have gotten complicated recently, especially with what just happened. But I know things will get better. Trust me on that."

The princess accepted the gesture, putting her own hand over mine as she nodded.

Unfortunately, our touching moment was disturbed when the sleeping weed took effect on one of my other friends after a comment. Vivi spoke up about how he was full already before suddenly falling face first on his plate. That was followed with Freya's spoon and fork dropping to her sides as she slumped against the table, trying to fight the sedative's effects but to no avail. I watched as the regent slowly slide out of his chair and land in a slightly deflated thud as my eyes started getting heavy.

Cries of the food being poisoned echoed in the room. My eyes tried to get a look of Zidane, who was already struggling against the effects. There was a split second where his eyes met mine and he looked horrified. He's probably pieced something together from what he heard earlier, that Dagger was going somewhere and this is when she's going to leave.

I could feel my hand slipping off Dagger's shoulders, but something else took hold of my body, wrapping around to my back warmly as I could feel my own limbs go out on me.

The last things I could hear were the words, "I'm sorry."

So this is what it feels to be on the receiving end of getting drugged through food. Thought it'd be more sudden…


	25. Feed Me More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little detour to the swamp

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 24: Feed Me More

\- Alyssa -

I started to leave unconsciousness when my eyes started opening very slowly. My body felt so slow to move, like even lifting an arm took a lot of effort, so I focused waking up my brain by looking around.

I immediately saw a lot of food around my head from different servings of chicken to bowls of soups of various flavors to slices of beef that were big and small. At the corner of my eye I could see the tip of a hat, one of a lightish-brown color, something very familiar that's just at that tip of my tongue. Aside from that there was nothing else worth seeing because half of my face felt numb.

When I tried to move, which was not easy because my limbs functioned like it was a lagging internet connection with a ten second delay between the input and the display. My head felt foggy. The only good news I could get from all this is that I didn't feel sick so far after I pushed myself off the table, but I wasn't able to balance myself, resulting in me falling backwards to the floor. I try to breathe for a few seconds and get my body to recover.

This felt like I had just woken up from a coma. I stared at the ceiling, trying to draw enough strength to pick myself off the floor. Emphasis on trying. At least I was able to crane my head to the left and see part of Zidane's head. He was still knocked out. To my right there was a pair of empty chairs, seats where the princess of Alexandria and her knight were supposed to be.

I remember now. Dagger put sleeping weed in our food and went out with Steiner to go back to Alexandria. Gods, who knew that sleeping weed packed a punch?

"Zidane." I called out to the thief, hoping that it would rouse him from his sleep. I also didn't know sleeping weed made throats dry because I sounded very hoarse. There was no response or movement from Zidane.

I closed and opened my hands in an attempt to gauge if I can get some feeling back to my limbs. Now they weren't as numb as before since they followed my commands with only slight resistance. ' _Gotta wake up Zidane_ ,' I told myself. Once he's up we can get the others awake and get a move on with the story. I don't know how much time's passed since we all hit the floor, but any time I waste not doing anything is time wasted. Pushing myself to my belly, I tried to crawl over to where the KO'd thief was. It took a bit of time but I eventually reached him. My hand grabbed his arm and shook him.

"Zidane. Zidane, wake up!" I tried to shout. It got him to wake, his eyes blinking open as he groaned. His head turned down to me and our brief eye contact made him realize what had just happened since his eyes widened and he sat upright in just a few seconds.

"Dagger! Where's Dagger?" He asked me immediately. I shook my head, which was probably a bad thing to do because I suddenly felt nauseous.

"Not here. So's Steiner." I replied.

"Damn it!" Zidane swore, punching the floor. "What's she thinking?"

I was silent, not because I had nothing else to say but because I was feeling sick. I could feel bile rising in my throat and every bit of concentration I have is focused on stopping myself from throwing up. First I felt numb and now I'm sick. Is this a side effect of the sleeping weed? Zidane didn't look any worse for wear. In fact he looks like he's getting better by the second, aside from feeling frustrated he let Dagger slip through his fingers.

Then I felt Zidane's hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" He might've noticed that I haven't said anything. I shake my head and look down, trying to hide my wincing face. "C'mon, let's get you up nice and easy before we wake up the others."

I nod to that and accept his hand. He propped my arm on his shoulders and gently aided me to my feet. I had to lean on the table to avoid wobbling and falling to the floor as he went over to wake Freya and the Regent. Using the edge of the table, I approached Vivi, who was leaning against the table on his face. Thankfully he didn't fall to the floor. I shook his shoulder and called his name. That seemed to get him going as his hat started to move away from the table.

"…Alyssa?" Vivi groggily said. I could see his yellow eyes blinking under his hat, probably fighting off the exhaustion from the sleeping weed. "What happened?"

"Time to wake up." I tell him, my sickness starting to subside a bit. "The princess knocked all of us out and went out. She probably didn't like that she's not allowed to go to Burmecia to stop the queen from doing anything rash."

It took a while for everyone to wake up. After making an assumption about what happened, which I couldn't confirm or deny because it'd complicate things for me, The Regent hopped up on the table looking disappointed.

"We've been had…" Agree with you there, bud, even though I knew it was going to happen. Zidane explained that she only had sleeping weed on her because he thought he had sleeping problems. My question was how was she able to spread out all that sleeping weed on everything we were eating?

"I'm impressed. There's more to her than meets the eye," Freya remarked, unafraid to hide a slight grin.

"Maybe she's heading to Burmecia!" Zidane immediately suggested. The thought of their previous talk was probably the only thing that stood out for him recently.

"Then you might still be able to catch up with her," said the Regent.

We all nodded, agreeing that we had no more time to lose. We are then instructed to leave through the Dragon's Gate located in the base level of the castle, head to Gizamaluke's Grotto on Freya's suggestion, pass through it and get to Burmecia before 'Dagger could do anything drastic'. As logical Zidane's reasoning is with this line of thinking, Dagger's bound to head somewhere she thought she can do something more useful other than head straight to a battlefield.

The Regent then summoned one of his soldiers and asked him to supply us with some useful items like potions and a tent for our journey. He told us that this guy would meet us at the Dragon's Gate. That's pretty nice of the Regent Cid here since our tent is still with Blake. I'm running low on potions because of the Festival too so resupplying is definitely a plus!

"Wasn't our tent with Blake's stuff?" Vivi asked as we made our way to the elevator. I winced. Vivi's got some good memory. That got Zidane to stop for a moment.

"Maybe." But then he started moving again. "But checking up with him if he has it right now is gonna take time. We dunno if it's with him or if it's in the inn with his other stuff in the infirmary. We have to leave as soon as possible."

"And I guess your injured friend will not be joining us due to his condition," Freya added as well. Zidane only nodded once as we arrived in front of the elevator. I could feel Vivi looking at me, probably concerned that we're leaving Blake behind.

"Don't worry about him, Vivi. He's a big boy and he'll understand. Plus, this'll give him time to rest." If only he actually had enough time to rest. He's only rested the minimum amount throughout all our time here. If he ever tries anything reckless again and gets hurt, I don't know what I'd do. Let's just hope he stays safe out there with Dagger and Steiner.

We managed to catch it as it was going down to our floor and it carried a single guard. He looked like he was in a hurry when he ran past us the moment the elevator doors opened for him. As he passed us, I noticed that he had something in his hand: a white envelope.

I gulped. There it was. The game-changer. Everything from here on out might change for the better… or for the worst.

"Alyssa, did you forget anything?" Zidane asked. He already had his hand on the switch on the elevator. I took one more look at the soldier rushing to where Regent Cid was.

"No. Let's go." I boarded the elevator, and with just a flick of a switch we started descending to the base level. I could feel Zidane's eyes still on me. He's definitely seeing through me after what he discovered in the infirmary. I did promise to explain later, yet I'm not sure when the right time is exactly. Maybe before we get to the Grotto or before Burmecia?

' _Let's just hope things work out_.' I said to myself.

\- FF FF FF -

The soldier gave us the low down on the items supplied to us by the Regent: Ten potions, 5 hi-potions, our tent, an elixir for emergencies, and a map as well to help out in directing us to the exact place where the Grotto is. The only thing we needed to complete our 'adventurer's pack' is a compass and a very stylish hat. Guess being stylish while saving a city isn't a main priority.

Well, that was a few hours ago. We've been venturing north-west-ish for some time now and we're more or less fast walking with Zidane's worrying driving us through any monsters that came in our way. It's definitely easier with four people and having the immense skill of a Dragon Knight like Freya around, unlike in the game where you only have three people in your party.

…I need to stop thinking of this as a game. It doesn't feel right anymore. That's Blake's thing anyways. Besides, Blake's tendency of being injured just makes him a walking cautionary tale for me to learn from, as harsh as that sounds it's pretty much true. Even if we know everything that's going to happen, that shouldn't encourage putting every ounce of faith on having that same result happen.

But back to reality...

Freya swatted away the Ladybug Knight's own lance, causing it to spin in the air, and cut down the monster with her own weapon. Another was about to get her from behind, only to be on the receiving end of a Thunder from Vivi. The Dragon Knight nodded her thanks to her savior, getting a nod in return.

I, on the other hand, was helping Zidane sandwich the lone survivor of the Ladybug Knights attacking us. It looked at both Zidane and I and tried to attack. It didn't pan out as it thought as I blocked its lance and slashed its front while Zidane cut deeply into the monster with his thief blades, The Ogre.

Well, we just made short work out of those Mist monsters, our fifth fight since we exited the gate. That gave us some time to reorient ourselves and calm down a bit with a steady pace to our destination. Zidane sheathed his daggers and started headed west according to our map, his pace was almost double our normal walking speed. We were right behind him and I was calling for him to slow down just a bit. He really looks like he's about to break into a run, clearly towards the Grotto.

As much as I want to get to Burmecia and try (and certainly fail, even if I want to change some events, this one is pretty much inevitable right now) to bring the fight to Queen Brahne, running there would only be a big negative since we would be tired and fighting tired is always a bad thing, especially with a mind-controlled Gizamaluke standing in our way to the city with perpetual rain. We just need to take things steadily.

I tried to match his speed and put a hand on his shoulder. I told him everything that was on my mind, about fighting tired and whatnot and not a word about Gizamaluke. That would be a very bad spoiler. He looks at me anxiously, but at least he slowed his walking.

"I know, but…" He looks to the west and then back to me, "Dagger just pulled this stupid stunt just to do what? Prove a point? I mean, come on, doesn't she trust us that we can prevent her mom from doing something stupid too?"

"Dagger's just...worried, you know?" I tell him.

"Who wouldn't be when you mother, out of nowhere, attacks another kingdom without anything foreshadowing this event." Freya added her two cents in. I nodded in agreement.

"Vivi's also worried too." I point to our black mage, who hasn't said a word during this small talk. He's probably spent most of time, when not fighting any monster, wondering about those dolls. "The attackers were said to be like the ones we saw in Dali. You don't see him doing anything drastic like Dagger."

Zidane sighed. "You've got a point there." He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "I just want to know if she's safe."

"As determined Dagger is, I doubt she actually knows the way to Burmecia on foot." But let's be honest, she's well educated and she might have at least read up on routes to Burmecia or at most memorized a map.

"Steiner is with her, right?" Vivi asked. We started moving again, not wanting to stay in one spot surrounded by Mist. "Maybe he knows the way?"

Freya hummed, weighing in the possibly of the captain knowing the way to Burmecia on foot. "That's a likely thought, but we can't be certain of that."

"And besides, they may be ahead but they're bound to slow down eventually." I suggested.

I was trying to wrack my brain with more things to say so I can convince Zidane to worry less, but I already ran out of ideas. I mean, he's got a right to be worried, but Dagger's a big girl! She can handle herself. She can fight and heal and surely she won't give in so easily. Also, she has Steiner with her too, her mighty protector. Surely her trusty knight wouldn't let anything hurt her.

And Blake's there too, I suppose. Gods... After what he's been through I don't even know what he'll be able to do. And he's stressing over that person who knows about us.

I can't even believe he's kept that under wraps for some time now! That's just the worst thing about all of it. Not that his condition and physical status might've gotten worse or that he's willing to go on a suicide mission to be able to get home. It's that he kept it a secret from me. I know that, at least, he told me about it, and that still doesn't excuse him for keeping that to himself that it got him hurt, but that he told me AFTER when it was important. We could have worked together in the Festival if he just told me or something! I could've helped!

Okay, now thinking about that has ME stressed. Focus on getting to Burmecia. I'll worry later when we're resting in a neat camp after the Grotto.

So we spent a few more minutes closing the gap to Gizamaluke's Grotto, keeping alert in case some monsters try to ambush us some more. I've started getting used to keeping my hand on my sword's hilt in case of an attack. I did notice that the grass we were walking on started getting taller and darker, which means we're getting somewhere.

Freya noticed it too because I heard her hum from my side. We had Zidane on point, Vivi in the middle with me and Freya on the tail end of our group.

"Be cautious everyone. We're transitioning to new terrain." She told us. We kept that in mind as we continued advancing.

One thing's for sure, we were in the midst of Qu's Marsh. The grass was getting taller up to our knees and the ground started feeling somewhat…moist? For some reason that combination isn't giving me any good vibes despite there not being any sign of danger around. And for some reason, the feeling of Mist started getting lighter.

Zidane unfurled the map once again and stopped us on a much stable portion of dirt. He pointed at the paper and showed it to us.

"We can go with two choices here. Either we go straight through the Marsh..." He suggests.

"The change in terrain might affect our travel time, but we would still be on track to our destination." Freya informed us.

"Or we go around it." Zidane finished.

"So literally cut through or we sidestep," I summarized. Both of the expert travelers nodded. Even if we go in the Marsh or not, I don't think it would affect anything. But having more people with us would give us more people on our side against the forces of Alexandria, which might not be much. Especially with whose heading said forces.

This is probably the most strategy I've gone though in my entire life. It's crazy...

"Don't Qu's live in marshes?" Vivi asked. I could only shrug while the other two tried to think of a sure answer. "My uncle told me most of the Qu he knew live in places like this. Maybe Dagger went by here?"

"If that's true, we might be able to ask the Qus living her if they've seen her." Zidane put a hand on his chin, trying to think if that'll be a good idea or not. "Daylight's running out. If we go through we should hurry so we can make camp closer to the Grotto."

I looked at Freya because this is her quest after all. She was silent, looking intently at the map in Zidane's hands and only peered up once to look at our immediate front to check our current route. But after a few more seconds, she straightens up and sighs.

"Very well. We shall move through the Marsh and we'll make camp once we are nearer to the Grotto. Any information about the princess' whereabouts would be helpful for Zidane's mental being instead of simply wondering if she is safe or not." If that was supposed to tease Zidane then it was effective as he shook his head at her. At least we're all in agreement on what to do next.

"Alrighty then. Let's get moving folks!" Zidane then folded up the map in his hands, deposited it in the bag he was carrying and lead us towards the Marsh.

For some reason my eyes followed Freya as she followed the thief. There was something about how she decided on where to go. She's trying to hide the fact that she really wants to get to Burmecia as fast as possible. Clearly she's anxious to see what's happened with her hometown, especially with how long she's been away from it, but I think she knows that she's not the only one here that wants to get there as much as she does. We all have a stake in this anyways. Hers is defending her home. Vivi's finding out more about the black mages Queen Brahne uses. Zidane's to see if Dagger is safe and help out in any way he can. Mine is getting answers through MJM. Well, that is if he's actually there.

As we continued further, the grass grew taller and taller until it was as high as Freya's lance if it stood straight on the ground. Poor Zidane had to wave his arms around in front of him constantly so he can part what I'm going to call the Faded Green Sea to make way for us. Of course, we have to keep parting the grass so we could see where we were going. Don't want to run into any monsters here since it would be hell to fight in a place like this. Though it would also be a disadvantage for the monsters as well since we could just run and leave them here in the tall grass to avoid fighting them. At least the monsters were considerate since we didn't fight any of them as we traversed the Marsh.

And just to make things worse, the dirt we are walking on right now started to loosen, meaning it's making it harder for us to walk. Vivi and I nearly slipped to the ground, which didn't happen because of the quick reflexes of Freya. Guess add her to the list of people I owe. I started doing knee-high steps to avoid slipping on the dirt. Eventually, we managed to get to some more stable ground and improvised wooden bridges for safer walking. Thank goodness I'm wearing boots. Bad news to Vivi though since his coat is close to the ground. But good news for him, he can wash that dirt off when we get close to Burmecia whether he likes it or not.

Our little group, finally, found the place I've been kinda looking forward to. Emphasis on 'kinda'. I say that because I really don't know how to really react to the Qus here. Even if I've played through the game and finished it, I really found the Qus to be strange, even stranger than how the game shows them. This might get different since I'm meeting one in person.

The grass soon gave way to this somewhat open area with a shallow pond with a better looking wooden bridge used to walk over it. There were frogs there jumping around all over the place. So. Many. Frogs! Just hopping around, ribbiting and being amphibians in their natural habitat and stuff! There's so much of them here I could just basically hold out my hand and one would jump on it. And the reason why they're jumping around in a panic is because of the large creature chasing them, arms opened wide, and flailing helplessly in various attempts to catch one as the frogs hopped around. And it was failing big time.

We stood there staring blankly at what was happening in front of us. I knew we were going to run into Quina, but I didn't expect this to be so silly like this. I didn't know whether I should get back in the grass or say something to break the tension.

"Uh…" Vivi broke the silence with an apprehensive stutter. But that wasn't enough to break our eyes away from the Qu mindlessly running around and trying to get a frog.

"Hungry…" The Qu moaned as the frogs continued to evade its grasp.

"Should we keep going?" Vivi continued with his question, looking at the rest of us for an answer. I shrugged, somewhat torn between saying something so we can move on or keep watching and see for myself if the Qu would be able to catch one by herself. I don't even want to know what Freya's mental reaction is to this. Though I did still turn to her and saw her still stone-faced, unfazed by the scene in front of her! Must be her dragon knight training.

And yes I am calling her, her. Quina sounds like a girly name to me and I'm going to stick with it.

Zidane, on the other hand, didn't hesitate in showing his answer. He had sauntered over near the pond while keeping an eye on a solitary frog that wasn't paying any attention to him. Applying his agility and stealthiness, he managed to snatch the frog from its place and secure it between his gloved hands, making it look so easy anyone could do it. Quina noticed this and was surprised with the ease Zidane had in getting it in his first try.

"Uh...You want this?" The Qu instantly nodded at the question. "Here you go?" Zidane presented the frog to the Qu when he found her immediately by his side. It was quickly snatched from his hands with Quina enjoying the feeling of the amphibian in her hands to the point she was licking her lips. I know they can be gross, but that kind of reaction sent a shiver down my spine. To each their own, I guess?

"You catch frog fast." Quina noted as she admired the frog now in hers grasp. "How?"

The thief looked over to us, silently asking us on what he should do next. I gesture for him to go on, Vivi shrugs unsurely, and Freya shakes her head sternly. We were pretty much no help going by Zidane's expression afterwards before he turned back to Quina.

"Ah...well first you have to slow your approach." He began cautiously. Unfortunately, advice-giving has to happen later when Freya finally stepped forward and placed a hand on Zidane's shoulder.

"Pardon us," Freya cut in before Zidane could say more, giving him a look I couldn't see but it sure made him flinch. "We were just passing through. Let's go before –"

"Quina!"

The Qu rejoicing over her new snack stopped celebrating as a shout came from the grass across us. Another Qu came out and looked disappointed. This one was dressed differently from Quina. If I could compare her attire to a novice cook then this new arrival looked like he belonged in an established restaurant, fancy hat and apron and all.

"What I tell you?" The new Qu began to scold Quina, wagging a finger at her. "You no learn if you no practice on your own. You lucky there always someone help you."

"Someone else?" Zidane repeated, which got him a nod from the elder Qu. This prompted another question from our party leader. "Did someone else pass by here? Like a girl or someone in armor?"

This was met with a frown. "What? No girl or armor." Since Zidane's question was answered their focus went back to Quina. Her recently caught food was then slapped out of her hands.

"Hey!" I stomped over to them in outrage. What the hell? That was uncalled for! "What's wrong with you!?"

"You must catch food yourself. Must learn to walk before run." After offering 'sage' advice, only to me it sounded like the clichéd mentor sayings from the movies I've seen, the Qu turned to Zidane. "Please follow me."

"What a jerk," I muttered loud enough for Zidane and Freya to hear but soft enough for it not to reach the Qu's. The two only nodded as we watched Quina briefly. I didn't really dwell on the character of her mentor that much since he doesn't come up that often in the main story or Quina's, aside that one confrontation during my 100% run, but man he's really making me wish there were still dialogue boxes so I can skip them.

Vivi, not knowing how to contribute to the conversation, walked in with a new frog in his hands. How he got that without falling on his face, I have no idea. He probably got lucky with an inattentive frog or was just a quick learner. He then went to Quina and offered it to her. Aww! Vivi you sweet, innocent, lovely soul. Never change.

"Thank you." She said. That brought a smile back to her face.

What didn't bring a smile to OUR faces was the speed she devoured said gifted animal. Just seeing her shove it into her mouth and gobble it all up in one go made me freeze in my spot with my face twisted up in a combo of disgust and shock for her eating habit.

"Um...You're welcome?" That was Vivi being polite, but I could see his yellow eyes were as wide a saucers at what he had just seen. I'm not sure what Freya and Zidane's reactions were because I had already walked into the grass, wishing I could remove the brain cells that have that scene engraved as memory.

As confused Zidane was for the sudden request by Quina's mentor, we still followed his lead and wound up getting to the Qu's home. The closer we got the more we could see the features of their humble abode. It's slightly elevated from the dirt and it required to walk up a flight of wooden stairs. There's a certain charm to it when you see how drab the marsh looks like, especially with some of the worn out cooking materials strewn about the outside. The inside isn't too shabby. More cooking utensils decorated the interior wall shelves, placed in cabinets, or were hung about, ones made from clay to simple steel. It's surprising how well decorated this place looks. The one window looking to the backside of the building was right where the Qu situated himself in, giving a good view of grass, dirt, and more grass along with a nice breeze if the wind passes by.

Student and teacher, who were finally formally introduced as Quina and Quale respectively to the others, were arguing about Quina's current training and how she needs to broaden her tastes, from just simple frogs to more delicacies, by beginning to travel the world, despite Quina's love of frogs. I wouldn't disagree with her, but frogs aren't really my thing anyway. Not that I hate them, but I just haven't eaten one.

I didn't listen too much since I wasn't the one who was asked to listen so I stuck by the doorway with Freya. Zidane was up at the forefront with Vivi at his side. Freya, on the other hand, was taking this quite nicely despite her hometown being ravaged by black mages as we speak, though I noticed one of her feet tapping rhythmically on the wooden floor.

When it came to the important question of letting Quina travel with us so she can expand her horizons, Zidane was on the fence about it. Vivi looks like he's okay with it. They weren't able to ask our opinions because Quale was hasty, thinking that Quina may need to prove herself.

"Quina cook for you!" Quale said. "Can cook something out of anything...usually."

"Wait, what's that last part supposed to mean?" I inquired when I heard him mutter his last sentence.

"I try get food!" I got no answer from her mentor when she exited the house and sought out said food by going north into the grass. Zidane gave the go to follow her. But then Vivi stopped before we could get far.

When asked why he's stopping, he replied with, "Um...That man looks exactly like my grandpa."

I could almost hear the gears whirring in the minds of Zidane and Freya. Why would a kid like Vivi have a grandpa looking like a Qu? And it's a really curious thing since the only family he's talked about is his grandpa so far. So you could see Zidane and I look at each other for a moment, not knowing how to respond to that. Vivi's fiddling with his fingers for a while before Zidane finally tries to clarify what Vivi just said, which got him a nod.

"Yeah...Maybe he knows my grandpa." Vivi added. "I'm gonna go talk to him, Zidane."

"Alright, Vivi. I'll stay here just in case," Zidane says as he points to his exact spot.

"I guess I'll go see where Quina is getting food from," I pointed my thumb over to where she headed off to."

Freya then stepped to my side. "I'll come along as well. It's a miracle we haven't encountered monsters out here so far. It would be best to have the two of us around when we do get in a fight."

Hard to disagree there. So we went and tried to catch where Quina went. What she would be cooking for his mentor we'll know when we find her. It wasn't that long when going through the grass that we heard a commotion punctuated by a growl that sounded like it was trapped underwater. When we cleared the grass, we found Quina being attacked by two monsters. These ones stood on four limbs and had slimy, fleshy pink skin like it had just crawled out of a pond or whatever and seaweed-y type tendrils on its head with a darker pink color. I think these guys are called Axolotl.

One of them bared its fangs at the Qu, which she responded to pulling out a hilariously oversized fork from under her apron. How it managed to stay there without falling out, I dunno. The first one didn't waste time and charged. It was met with a simple swing of Quina's fork, the flat side brushing the monster aside. She was somewhat ready for the second Axolotl's follow-up when she clumsily jumped back. Due to her awkward dodge, she toppled over and flattened the second pink creature, leaving her vulnerable for the first attacker. She wasn't able to recover in time for its second go-around, but it wasn't able to touch her when Freya cut it down in a blink of an eye.

The dragon knight only nodded at the Qu as she struggled to get back up after we heard her yelp in pain. The Axolotl beneath her took a bite at her and still had its teeth gripping part of her back, still holding on to the Qu for dear life. When she realized the effectiveness of her accidental dodge earlier, she tried to do it again but this time rolled on the ground and further squashed the fleshy amphibian over and over again until it fell and stayed on the ground after numerous times being sandwiched between the ground and Quina.

It was a...unique attack that I had to clap after seeing it. Not every day you see someone take out a monster by rolling back and forth. And I think Freya's kinda impressed too with how she's nodding.

So with these Axolotl finally dead, she puts each one under one arm and cheerily declares, "Hunt done! Now eat!"

"Please don't gobble them up. Please don't gobble them up. Please don't gobble them up." I repeated to myself. My brain flashed back to a few minutes ago when she easily ate that frog in a matter of seconds. I remembered also that she could instantly eat enemies mid battle if they're weak enough.

Thankfully, she didn't shove them in her mouth as she started going back the way we came from. Freya could tell I was relieved when it didn't happen because she nudged me forward and I nearly toppled over because I froze up after thinking about it.

As we followed the Qu skipping through the grass, we stumbled upon something familiar to me but totally unfamiliar and unimportant to the other two ladies I'm with, for now anyways. A worn out entrance leading below the marsh blockaded by weak chains. I couldn't help but stare at it as we passed it because I knew we needed to find this again when we pass by here again later.

Of course, Freya's very observant eyes didn't miss this. "Something wrong?"

I whipped my head to the Burmecian and shook it. "No...uh, not at all. I thought I saw something over there."

She raised her eyebrow at me for at least a second before letting things slide, continuing behind Quina, who didn't even bother to wait for us. When I looked back, I saw this figure covered in a brown coat standing there behind the chains. That wasn't there before. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, thinking that I'm starting to get tired. The figure wasn't there anymore when I looked. Now I'm really seeing things.

"We should go." Freya called to me, grass rustling following as she went after Quina's trail. I dunno if I should tally that as my mind playing tricks on me or that I should find some time to lay down.

We eventually got back to Quale's house and saw him, Zidane, and Vivi waiting for us. Weirdly enough, the older Qu had set up some cooking materials there as well as a fire to warm things up. Zidane didn't like the wait as he had taken to hanging upside down on the railing near the stairs while Vivi had sat down on the steps. They both got up when they saw us arrive. Even Quale looked pleased as punch to see us.

"Finally!" He exclaimed with some impatience in his voice. "Now impress visitors with meal."

"I don't think that is necessary." Freya interjected. "We're only passing through to get to Gizamaluke's Grotto—"

"Grotto on right of house, slightly towards north. If walk on shallow pond, you go too far." Quale interrupted her. "But stay for few minutes!"

I could see how miffed Freya is getting with all these delays. I mean I would be mad right now with how Quale is being and I would punch him in his big gut if he interrupted me like that. But thankfully two growling stomachs put a stop to that. And these stomachs belonged to Zidane and Vivi.

"Oops..." Vivi looked down as if the tips of his shoes became so interesting so suddenly.

Zidane laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Can't help it."

"More reason to stay!" Quale gleefully stated. He's really pushing for us to go through with this.

As much as Freya wanted to just push aside Quale and get to the Grotto as soon as possible, she lets out a sigh to calm herself and straightens her posture. "Fine. But no more delays after this." Vivi and I were instantly nodding, not wanting to get on her bad side.

Zidane nods. "Alright. When the food comes in we dig in fast." He adds with a salute, grinning at the thought of eating food that won't knock him out.

Speaking of our food, our short argument didn't slow Quina down as she was already getting into prepping the two Axolotl like cutting them into small pieces, removing the big bones we would choke on, adding seasonings and whatnot. She was zipping between getting ingredients to making sure that the meat doesn't burn up. While we were watching this unique sight, I noticed Vivi's attention was somewhere else. I knelt beside him to see if he wanted to talk.

"Thinking about something else other than food?" I asked him gently.

"Oh. Uh...yeah." He was looking at Quale, who was busy coordinating Quina with her work.

"How was your talk about your grandpa?"

"He didn't know him and he was kinda rude."

"Also that guy's a horrible liar." Zidane added, giving his insight since he was there when it happened. I bet he was when he's the first one to name drop Vivi's uncle.

I put a hand on Vivi's shoulder. "Don't mind that guy, Vivi. Who knows? Maybe it's something personal between them? It still doesn't excuse the fact that he lied about it."

"I know," he black mage replied, but his voice had this wistful tone to it. "But I was hoping he would tell me something about him."

I don't remember exactly how long Vivi knew his grandpa before the story began, but I understand why he wants to learn more about him. It's like that sense of longing after only knowing someone for a short while and wanting to know more about them. And it's worse for Vivi because his grandpa is the closest he has to family. All that curiosity he has with himself and of everything around him had to be answered eventually.

As I was standing up, I nearly jumped when Quina had just pulled up right in front of us with a clay plate filled with freshly cooked meat on it. The smell of the spices used on it calmed my fast beating heart after Quina surprised me. From behind her Quale was urging us to take a piece. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it first. I took a bite out of one of the slices...

"Hmmm..." I hummed, my chewing slowing down so I could swallow. "It's pretty good!"

With that kind of recommendation, the others started get their own slices while the two Qus watched for any kind of reaction. Zidane was nodding as he took another bite of his piece, Vivi agreed with my statement by repeating it with a surprised tone, and Freya looked impressed. I finished mine before the others could even finish their own reactions.

"How come you eat frogs when you can cook this up?" Zidane asked in mid-chew.

"Frogs tasty! Frogs favorite." Quina simply responded.

"What you say?" Quale sauntered over to Zidane, nudging his side with an arm. "Bring student along?" Oh it must be about their conversation while we were away he's trying to convince Zidane to have Quina along so she can see the world and its delicacies. But he's not really asking the right person. Zidane's the one acting like the leader of the pact, but this is Freya's quest at the moment. We're just along for the ride because we want to help and get answers.

And to make that point even more obvious, Zidane looked over to Freya for an official answer. She gave him a nod as she swallowed her last bite.

"Well were not gonna be traveling the whole world, but sure. We'll show Quina around." Zidane finally said.

Pleased to hear that, Quale clapped and went back up to his house to get something. Quina was excited to hear this, bouncing around while still holding on to the plate with what remained of the Axolotl dish she cooked up. And she shared this feeling by hugging the hell out of Zidane.

"O..kay. You're...welcome." He tried to say, but between the constant jumping, being squeezed by the Qu's arms, and face full of apron, he wasn't able to say it properly. "Help..."

"Okay, let's not choke the monkey boy." I laughed. And he looked like he was about to pass out. I had to step in before we had to carry Zidane out of the marsh.

Quale came back with a bag and handed it to his student. Quina accepted it and stashed it in the pocket in her large apron. That piece of clothing looked like she could stuff Vivi there and it wouldn't even bother her. Well, she has to have enough space if she's to carry a big-ass fork with her. And to truly show how happy he is for his student, he put aside his attitude and told us the proper to get out of the marsh while being on track towards the Grotto. I'm sure Freya's glad that we're making some progress now.

We left the master chef's home fed by the quick meal by our new teammate, which I think should last us by a few more hours until we have to sit down and rest. It took us barely a minute with Quina guiding us through the marsh's tall grass. The field blanketed by the mist almost looked welcoming after going through grass almost triple Vivi's height. Even though we had gotten through the Qu's home almost not encountering any monsters that didn't shake our cautious senses as we continued through the field with hands at the ready for any monster that comes our way. Well except Quina, she only licked her lips upon Freya's warnings of any possible monster attack. I dunno if I should be afraid or glad she might eat any poor monster that would attack us.

We continued to pass along as we closed the gap between us and the Grotto. One telling sign of us getting nearer is the mountainside starting to get bigger, our passageway narrower now. I could sense Freya getting tenser as we neared the Grotto, her shoulders were as stiff as the cliffs above us as she readily wielded her spear. She and I had the tail end of our current formation, and I was planning on picking her brain on her thoughts about her hometown's current condition, but I guess she noticed me staring at her and broke her silence.

"If you were curious, yes, I worry for Burmecia." She spoke, eyes on constant lookout around us.

"I know you can't help it." I replied. "When someone attacks your home you can't help but wonder why and if things will ever be the same."

She gives me a careful look for a moment before nodding. Was there something I said? "Yes. Alexandria's action might cause a war and wars never tend to have a positive result for any side. I just hope we can, at least, save Burmecia. I would never want my city to be under the control of that horrible queen. And to think someone like her would ever be able to have the gall to push through with an attack like this."

To be fair, Queen Brahne is being played like a fiddle by someone else more ambitious. She wouldn't have attacked anything without someone whispering in her ear. "Power does make people's heads get big. Guess she's past her breaking point now if this means anything."

The dragon knight nodded. Her eyes glance over to Vivi and Quina, both walking at the center of our group. "What I worry the most is having involved too many people on a personal mission like this."

"No big. Aside from Zidane, who's probably in too many fights as long as he's been a thief and clearly can handle himself, I'm sure Vivi and Quina, with his black magic and her talent to...eat...monsters," I couldn't help but shudder. "They're no slouch themselves. We might not be the best fighting group but I know we'll try our best to help you out."

"Thank you. I appreciate your help."

"Besides, I've never been to Burmecia." That's technically the truth since I've personally not been there. "Might be cool to see it myself."

"You might like it more if you happen to visit on a more peaceful time."

"Hey guys, I think I can see the entrance!" Zidane called out to the rest of the group, waving over to our left in the distance. There is an opening at the point he was pointed at. I guess we're here after all and our rest will have to wait.

At least I was able to lift Freya's spirits in a way. We've gotten to the point of no return for this part of the story's initial plot. After this it's all about stopping the Queen from putting more damage on the other kingdoms. Let's just hope we'll still be able to do that without much of a problem.


	26. Grotto Run, Grotto Run Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stand off at the grotto

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 25: Grotto Run, Grotto Run Now, It's A Rat Race

\- Alyssa -

"Over there! Is that it?" I called out to the others, pointing to the opening along the mountain I could see in the distance.

We started running towards it, Freya leading the group. The closer we got the opening looked more battered, more aged than the mountain itself, like the entrance itself tried to fight off its attackers. We could see the forms of slumped figures in the field before it. Pools of blood gathered under them, patches of scorched earth around the bodies made sure to tell us they fought bravely.

The Burmecians may have tried to guard this place, but it was obvious they were taken by surprise. It was telling because we couldn't see any bodies from the Alexandrian forces, female soldiers or black mages.

"No…!" Freya ran to the nearest body, hoping that they had survived the attack. But each soldier she tried to wake up she was only met with lifeless gazes and silence.

"Oh man…I hope Dagger didn't come here." Zidane muttered, witnessing for the first time the cruelty of the attacking Alexandrian war force. I've already looked away. I didn't want to see Freya like this, beaten up that she hadn't arrived fast enough to help. And whatever we could've done, what I could've done, wouldn't change the fates of her comrades here. Doesn't change the fact I wanted to try.

But now I could only look to Vivi, who now could see how much damage his fellow black mages could do, how brutal they could be. I've taken his side and could see he was struggling to find the right words for comforting his new friend, even when this wasn't his own fault. Even Zidane could see it, who had put a hand on the young black mage's shoulder.

Freya had suddenly stood up from her position by one of the fallen soldiers. "The king might be in danger!" She broke into a run, heading inside the grotto.

"Hey, wait up!" Zidane called to her. The rest of us followed the dragon knight. My hand went to my sword hilt even though I knew there wouldn't be a fight in the first room. But just in case of random battles, y'know?

We found ourselves in a narrow hallway lit up by decorative torches. The design on the walls really made the place not belong under the mountain with the walls looking like the scales of a dragon and numerous bells hanging from the ceiling. The hall leads to two places: One towards a locked door with a bell on it, the second being a small corner with supplies, a place for those guarding the entrance to rest and relax.

"Place very pretty." Quina commented as she looked around in awe. "Pretty than marsh." It is surprisingly pretty for a place dug in under the mountain. Must've taken a while to make it look good.

Vivi had walked over to the door at the end of the hall, carefully approaching it with light steps. He's probably thinking there would be a trap or something. Then he tried pushing open the door since it didn't look like it had any knob to turn. "It won't budge."

"Need key?" Quina wandered over to him. She tried to brute force the door, slamming into it with her full weight, but the door proved to be sturdier as it barely moved. "Door strong."

Zidane heard a rough cough to our right and instantly readied himself for a fight. But all we saw was a man sprawled under a table trying to move.

"Hey are you alright!?" Freya was already beside the man when she recognized the uniform, one that was similar to those outside. Zidane had helped her prop him up in a sitting position. From what we could see he was still alive but barely breathing. Almost like the others outside, he was bloodied and had some nasty burn marks all over him, uniform and various body parts. It's surprising that he's still alive at this point.

"Black mages…couldn't do anything…" The soldier managed.

"Please save your strength." Freya told him. The soldier looked up upon hearing her and a smile started to form.

"Fre-Freya..?" The soldier coughed, blood pouring from his mouth, but the smile was still there. "Gods be damned…You're finally…coming home."

"We're here to help." That was Zidane trying to assure the soldier. "We're on our way to help Burmecia."

The soldier shook his head. "Thank you. But I'm…done for."

"Don't say that." Freya said, trying to pull out a potion in her pouch. "You will pull through and survive."

Gingerly and with all of his remaining strength, he managed to go for his pocket and pulled out a small bell, the last of what Freya said not registering to him. "Take this bell, and…go to Burmecia." He placed the bell in Freya's open hand where the potion was and closed it for her, completely ignoring the vial.

"No you must drink this potion. It will help!"

"It's too… late for me." He looked pleadingly to the dragon knight, the rest of his strength waning. "The black mages…took our bells…The king's in…palace. Please…pro…tect…"

With his message finally passed on, the soldier's hands released Freya's and fell to the ground at his sides. His head tilted down and his last words trailed off to silence. A strangled breath left Freya as she let her fallen comrade rest. She put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to the air before standing up again.

"Freya…" I tried to think of something to say, to cheer her up or something. My brain can't really find the right words, but it looked like she didn't need any when she walked past me with a determined look on her face, one that make anyone who had anything to do with this attack tremble in their boots.

"How could they be so…vicious?" Vivi asked no one in particular. He was still looking at the soldier by the table. It's probably horrible that someone as young as Vivi has to see this kind of thing happen, especially if the atrocities are being done by those similar to him.

"It's war, even if it ain't official yet. It's always horrible." I answer him as we watched Freya stand before the locked door ahead of us.

With the bell given to her in hand, she raised it and started to ring it. The melody of the bell began to fill the room. It was a slow tune as it started out, but the bell on the door started to move and ring in a similar pace it had matched, only in a different tune. She rang it quicker and quicker until it almost blared, but it didn't feel bad like a siren would when it would ring near you. It almost sounded…welcoming.

When the ringing reached its peak, the bell in Freya's hand shattered. The door then opened at the same time, the ringing from the bell finally dying down. 'Wow…' was all I could've said, but I stayed silent just in case someone was waiting behind the door. Freya turned her head past the door and tried to listen in. Her training must have made her senses more sensitive or able to do more than the average person because I think she picked up something ahead of us. She then turned back to us and put a finger to her lips before motioning us to follow her.

Crouched low and moving slowly, we moved towards the next room where I'm sure we would have our first fight with the black mages and confront the two clowns left here to hold the fort. I'm curious why the queen would leave her two court jesters, of all people, here to hold the line. Sure they're not useless and can fight, but if I was a good strategist I would've put the person below Beatrix's rank here. But that would be Steiner. Maybe she's too pressed for time to promote someone else and already had her magical clowns have the position for a while.

My normal human ears, along with everyone else's, managed to hear some people talking in the next room. They didn't care whether there were any survivors or not because they sure as hell didn't pipe down. Freya was the first to take a peek, which only took a few seconds, before she gave us the go-ahead to move up.

Okay, place looks bigger in real life and still pretty much the same layout. The wall's taller, the wooden bridge separating this room to the previous hallway looked sturdier and less improvised, but I couldn't see anything or anyone above the wall. The people talking must be ahead by the doors.

"The grotto is all clean of any nasty Burmecians," one voice cackled.

"Full control, we now have." Another said with almost the same tone, except being all Yoda-like. "By tomorrow, the city will surely fall."

"That's good to hear." A third voice spoke up, but this one sounded kinda…bored?

Wait a second! That one sounded familiar…

"That's the guy!" I whispered to the others. Both Freya and Quina gave me confused looks, but both Zidane and Vivi knew who I was talking about.

We scooted to the opening in the wall and I edged over near the front so I could who MJM was talking to. He was seated on the stairs before the big door leading to the next room. Both the royal clowns and a pair of Type-A Black Mages stood around MJM, and it looked like Zorn and Thorn were getting pissy with him.

"I do not see why you are so lax about all of this." Zorn told him, pointing a loose sleeve, and I think there's a finger somewhere in there, at MJM. All he got was a yawn, which didn't go so well with the blue-clad jester.

"His assignment to us, the general did not approve of. Her point, I'm finally seeing." Thorn added to the complaint his partner had, shaking his head at the taller human.

MJM just scoffed at the two, flicking at Thorn's red and white hat. "Ah, relax! We got the Grotto. No need to get your panties in a bunch. Besides, no one's stupid enough to send someone here."

' _You got another thing coming_.' I thought. I slinked back to the rest of the group as they were waiting for a report.

"There's the queen's clowns and two black mages. The guy from Dali who nabbed me and Vivi is also here." I told them.

"We should expect them to have more than just five to secure this area. It would be foolish to think they left behind such a small force." Freya advised us. We all nodded in agreement. Even without random battles popping in, and I'm talking realistically here, the black mages they have might prove to be handful even with the five of us.

Zidane probably wanted to take a look at the scenario we have before us as he took the front again. He peeked and surveyed the entire room for a different way to get to them. From what I saw on my turn earlier, charging them up front would be a death wish. He nudged me on the side and pointed to the left side of the stairs, where an open door leading to the top of the wall we're currently under.

"We could sneak past them if we get on top of this wall," he suggested.

"The less fighting we can have, the better." I said, liking his plan. Thieves do have a tendency to avoid fights, one strategy that I would definitely always agree on. If we fight everyone we won't last long.

He took another peek in case another idea popped up, but something whizzed by his face before he could fully take another look. The object hit the wall opposite us and was lodged in between the bricks. We were all stunned to see something nearly hit Zidane that we all barely made a sound. But when we recovered, we saw it was a knife!

Then I heard MJM chuckling. "Well, well. Guess I jinxed us, fellas." And he doesn't sound too beat up about us being here. He's more like…entertained by the fact that we came here.

"If you think you'll get away with what you've done then you're wrong on so many levels!" I shouted at them. No point in hiding since they know we're here.

"Who are they?" Zorn asked, head tilted to the left. We've already stepped out in the open with our weapons in our hands. I expected more black mages to come out of the door behind them since it would be stupid for them to only use two at a time.

"That, I do not know," Thorn replied, head tilted to the right. The mages on their side had turned to us and presented open palms burning with balls of fire.

"I know we have seen them before. Especially him." A blue sleeve was pointed to the blond in our group.

"Somewhere before? I have not seen them. Know, I would."

"Don't mind them. This is part of their comedy routine." MJM sighed at the two jesters. Then he turned his sights to me, a grin on top of his mouth. What the hell is he thinking about that's so funny? "If you don't think they're not funny, let me take the lead and entertain you!"

MJM drew out three more knives from his sleeves and threw it at our feet. Damn it, he has a gun and can throw knives? All of us at the front jumped back to avoid his projectile while the mages with the Alexandrians put up fireballs about to be launched to us.

We were about to ready ourselves for the two approaching Type-As, but fire rained down on our positions that we had to jump back into the wall for cover. Three more Type-As jumped down from above, one on the wooden bridge behind us and two more at the front. Their palms blazed with fire and we had no choice but to take a few steps back.

Vivi took action first, denying the Type-A Mage behind us with the first strike by freezing his front with a Blizzard. It stumbled back from the attack and started to unfreeze himself starting at its hands. Zidane didn't let it when he kicked it off the side of the bridge, the Type-A falling into ravine under it.

I was lucky Quina was there with me at the front when she burped massive bubbles at the two Type-As about to attack us. That must've been the attack she gained after eating the Axolotl earlier. It sent the two hostile mages tumbling over to the stairs, nearly knocking over its other two brethren. Zorn and Thorn, probably unprepared at our resistance, retreated behind MJM muttering things to each other, while MJM only twirled his knives while watching the Type-As at work. Was he waiting for something to happen?

Fire spells were thrown at us by the two Type-As from MJM side and they were closing the gap between us faster than I thought. Plus, the other two were getting back up on their feet. Soon we'd have to retreat back to the bridge if this keeps up. As I was trying to find a different approach my head turns over to Zidane, who's looking up at the wall for some reason. Freya sees this also but takes it a step further by jumping up. Zidane gestures to us to stay where we are, and gesturing might be the best since the enemy wouldn't be able to hear us, as he climbs after the dragon knight.

The three of us stay behind cover for a while, still feeling the impact and the heat of the fire spells against the wall. Then a few seconds later it seemed to have slowed down with just one hitting near our position once in a while compared to the constant peppering just a few seconds ago. I had to look out into the corner. The mages were firing above us, their spells going left and right at different paces. Zorn and Thorn were trying to direct traffic, shouting at their minions as to where to fire with shrill shouting while MJM only smiled at what he is seeing – probably Zidane doing acrobatics or Freya dodging their attacks with ease, I dunno—either impressed or entertained.

My eyes go over to their left and see an open door. That should be closed in the game. Maybe they thought it would be a waste to close a door that basically leads to surface of the wall above us. Then I noticed the mages starting to aim their fire towards said door. Zidane and Freya might be acting as diversions!

I turn to Vivi and Quina. "I'll go in and attack. Quina, follow me and back me up. They're sure to see us coming, but at least we'll have a head start without fireballs coming to our faces. And when that happens, Vivi I want you to cover us." Both of them nodded. I eyed the fire attacks one more time. This time it looked like the four of them were aiming closer to the door, meaning Zidane and Freya might be getting closer with their opportunity to close in on them getting smaller and smaller.

I pulled out my sword and drew in a breath. I silently counted three seconds, timing them with the last fireball to hit near us before giving Quina the nod. Here goes nothing!

We both pulled away from the wall and charged forward. The Type-As had just finished their latest barrage on Zidane and Freya's position and noticed the two of us coming. Fire started swelling up on their hands and were about to blast us. I felt a sudden jolt of electricity pass us and hit the two Type-As, knocking them down and catching the other two by surprise. The one closer to MJM wasn't able to give them a hand when I ran up to it and stabbed it in the chest. Okay so one down, three more to go. The one beside it was tackled to the ground by Quina, who then proceeded to lick it. Probably a taste test.

I see Zorn and Thorn bolt up the stairs and leave MJM after I kick the Type-A off my sword. He only looked at me with a sneer and drew two more knives from his sleeves. How many does he have in there? MJM didn't wait for another second, jumping over the other barely alive Type-As and tried to get a slice out of me. I bring up my sword and let his knives slide against it before swinging it at him. He easily dodged my attacks and did not let me come close to even getting a scratch on him, and he did that with a stupid grin on his face. I thought one attack would come close, a stab towards his chest, but he dropped down below it and took me by the wrist and tried to wrestle the sword away from me. I tried to pull back from his grip, but he kept me in place by dropping his knives and held me in place where he could easily trip me up and take my sword. But it felt like he wasn't trying to take it.

"Hope 'ya appreciate the little help I gave 'ya in the Festival," he winked at me. Is he fishing for some kind of thank you from me? I could feel my eye twitch in irritation. I kicked him square in the gut, pushing him back a few feet. He grunted upon getting hit, but that grin didn't even change one bit. "Feisty."

"Who the hell do you think you are!?" I shouted and charged.

Another Type-A stood in my way, the one that got blasted by Vivi earlier. Due to its wounds, it was easy to put down with a pair of slashes. MJM stood by, not doing anything for his comrades, yet had another knife at the ready. The last Type-A by his side got a fire spell for trying to get back up from Vivi. I was about to thank him for covering me again when I saw a knife fly his way. Thankfully, it missed when Vivi dived to the ground as the knife whizzed past his hat.

Quina inserted herself between me and MJM when he tried to run up to me. The fork barely missed as he jumped back, chuckling at his own failed attack. "That's only a taste of things to come." Was that his way giving some foreboding warning? If that's the case then it ain't working on me. "Just looking at that little face of yours, you're not gonna take my word. That's fine."

The Qu tried to interrupt him again, charging like a freight train with fork pointed up front. MJM jumped out of the way and up the stairs where more black mages seemed to have come out of the next room. He was laughing as he backed off. One of them didn't get the chance to attack when Freya nailed it right in the chest with her spear. Zidane zipped towards the mages with his daggers, cutting past them with MJM as his actual target. MJM merely backed up some more just as the doors behind him started to move.

"I knew letting you get away back in Dali is gonna be fun." He offered a mock salute before closing the big door leading to the next room. What's that supposed to mean? Did he…intentionally let me get rescued back then?

Zidane, Freya, and Quina mopped up the remaining Type-As near the door while I stood there trying to piece together what MJM meant. There are only two things he could mean. Either he's just trying to mess with my head or has motives for not doing anything when Vivi and I escaped Dali's underground factory. The worst part of it all, I have no idea what he has to gain with both scenarios. Great. He's a mystery AND a bad guy. The latter wasn't very obvious when he first came around since we thought he only worked in the underground factory and that maybe it was only coincidence he was in the Festival. Now he's clearly part of Alexandria's army.

"Apparently, while we may have the same enemy, it seems like they know more about you." Freya's voice broke me out of my thoughts to only find myself on the receiving end of a curious look from her.

"W-Well, I don't know much about him either." I answered. And true, MJM sounds like he knows more than he lets on, more than I even know, and that's very worrisome.

"We saw him first back in Dali. I didn't know he's part of the attack army." Zidane added.

"He was in the Festival too. Alyssa was staring at him before it started." Vivi remembered. Yeah, and here I was wondering if him being there was a massive coincidence.

Freya considered what had been said and then turned to the big center door. "It doesn't matter right now. Just an observation. What we need to do is get past this door."

"Doors?" Quina was actually standing near the third door, the one on the right side of the platform.

I looked at the two doors back and forth. No need to choose which one to go through because it would be a waste since they lead to the same room. Unless… "One of these doors leads to a trap..."

It sounded more of a question upon delivery, but in my head it was clear. Something has to be up with this. I can feel it.

Freya put a hand on her chin as she started to think. "That is a possibility since these doors are both entrances to the same room." Exactly. "It would be smart to assume so since they still have their forces here. They can hold the line there and defend their position."

"Question is, which one's the trap." Zidane was kneeling beside one of the dead Type-As when he spoke up. It didn't take long for him to get an answer. Freya stood before the center door and tapped the bell on it with her spear.

"This one. This has a straight path to the center room. The black mages could unleash a barrage of spells and destroy us before we can take three steps in it." That plus MJM firing at us with his gun. He's already shown to me how accurate he is from a distance.

Since the other door starts at the right side of the room, curves over the center door's path and goes under and then ends on the right side of the center platform, it should give us enough cover from any magic and long-range attacks. I think the only problem we might have is entering the room. The bell on the door rings when the smaller bell resonates with it before shattering to pieces. That could alert the enemies on the other side. So much for the element of surprise.

Vivi brought this up to Freya, but before she could answer with anything helpful, Zidane stands up with a bell in hand. He probably took it off from one of the dead black mages. "They already know we're coming, right? Don't wanna let our 'entertainment' wait."

We all nodded, mine was more hesitant than all of them because of what's happening right now. This doesn't really follow the script of the game, but I should really expect this to happen sometime now. I need to get used to it. Change is inevitable anyways.

Zidane rang the bell in front of the door to the right, the bell on the door resonating with the melody of the smaller, portable one until it dissolves. The door opens and we see the path going over and under the center doorway. It was eerily silent as we gathered by the door, crouched to avoid detection and silent in case it would break the tension in the room. We could see a line of three Type-As standing in the middle of the path, hands already aimed at the door. There was some bustling and high-pitched talking somewhere behind them, probably from Zorn and Thorn, with MJM just standing around a few feet behind the line of mages. More mages seemed to file into the room where the boss fight is going to happen. And it looks like he's looking this way and just not shouting to aim where we are. What is he doing?

The moment we step through we're going to be under a lot of fire. Zidane was at the very front with Freya by his side. Vivi and Quina knelt beside me as we waited for the blond's cue. After signalling we're ready, Zidane counts down from three. The moment he reached zero he bolted out of the doorway with Freya close by. I held my hand up for a few seconds before letting the two beside me know it is okay to move. I stalled for a few seconds because MJM had taken his rifle and started shooting at Zidane and Freya. The mages in front of him realized that their targets weren't coming out of the center door and were directed by the two clowns to start firing where their other accomplice was attacking.

The two agile fighters didn't follow the path we were on for long. Once they reached the part that goes over the center path, they jumped down and captured the attention of the defending Type-As. Freya landed on one of them with a spear going straight down its skull while Zidane planted his feet on the one to Freya's left. He kicked the remaining Type-A on the frontline, sending him tumbling down the chasm, while the one he landed on was also stabbed by the dragon knight.

MJM enjoyed watching what was happening to his comrades, twirling a knife in his hand as he leaned on the bell while Zorn and Thorn were backpedalling so hard they basically rolled out of the room. Even with only their hands the Type-As knew how to deliver a hard slap and punch as they traded blows with Zidane and Freya's respective weapons since they're too close for magic.

Vivi once again played as the long range back-up, blasting MJM's previous position with thunder as the two more experienced fighters in our group started to get rid of the first line of black mages. Quina and I managed to reach the end of our path and moved to cut and stab the advancing mages. They hit me with a good round of fire spells, but Quina retaliated with her Aqua Breath, sending them back a few steps as the smell of frogs and Axolotl decorated the air around us. With them discombobulated, I stabbed at one right in the chest and kicked it off my sword, sending it toppling over one of the other mages behind it. My hands became the victim of frostbite when a Type-A casted a blizzard on me as I was about to swing. The added weight and sudden drop of temperature to my limb was a shock to my system, making me miss my attack.

Quina got hit by a pair of fire spells, resulting in her being pushed back, as a few more black mages started pouring in from the next room. I tried breaking the ice over the mage that attacked Quina, but the moment it got knocked out another took its place and tried to freeze me some more. And the ice only got a crack! Zidane and Freya saw the incoming attackers and had to jump back before they got fried with a thunder spell. How many black mages did they leave here!?

We had to back up some more and take cover on the small arc on the lower path behind us. I saw at least seven Type-As over where MJM is at, three in the front and the other four by the giant bell in the room. Not only were they focusing fire, blizzard, and thunder where we are, they were also attacking Vivi's position above us. We're basically trapped, had nowhere to turn to, and I'm pretty sure I heard MJM laughing in the midst of his teammates' magic barrage.

"Guys, I'm starting to get dizzy…" Vivi said as another fireball hit near his spot. He's probably used so much magic since we came in that it's taken a big toll at him. Without his magic we can't really push forward. Quina might still be able to use that Aqua Breath of hers, but that might not be enough. How can we break through their defenses? If only someone here can ring that massive bell and disorient those mages…

I risked getting hit by a few spells just to get back to Vivi's position, but thankfully they all whizzed past or hit the floor by my feet. I figured he'd be trying to get his magic back by downing an Ether, but was struggling to get one out.

While Vivi was taking a break, he dug through his items and it accidentally spilled out to the floor. He apologized as he tried to get the vials back in his bag, but one particular item caught my attention. It was about the size of my hand, semi-circular, and had this lightish-brown color to it.

"Vivi, is this what I think it is?" I asked as I picked up the weird item. It had this faint, strange smell to it.

"Oh, that's a Kupo Nut. I bought it before the Festival." The black mage replied as he finally got an Ether in his hand and drank it. Wow, he still managed to get one. Not that I doubted him. I'm just surprised to see it in my hands right now.

"Mind if I use this for a sec?" He looks at the nut in my hand for a moment, probably trying to figure out what use it'd be. When a spell came close to hitting our position, he nodded as he waited for his magic to come back. I do hope this works out…

I keep an eye out for the bell carefully, ducking out of the way whenever a spell hits nearby. Eventually when I found a gap in their magical assault, I popped out for a second and threw the nut in their direction. I luckily hit one of the Type-As near the bell, disorienting the fire spell it was about to send out. I ducked back down for cover and waited.

Then I hear a hearty laugh from across the room. "You have got to be kidding me! What's this? You've gotta be desperate to think throwing one random nut's gonna work. What the hell does this thing do anyway?" I looked and saw MJM holding the nut.

Just when he started laughing again I saw movement over his shoulder. The bell standing right behind him jiggled a bit. It started moving more and more until it looked like it was having a terrible dose of the shakes. MJM eventually noticed it because of the ringing it started doing. Before he could give a comment, it was suddenly flung into the air. MJM had to dive out of the way when it landed and squashed his back-up before they could even react.

The Type-As attacking at the front flinched at the sudden quake their platform experienced and turned around to see the commotion. Quina, Freya, and Zidane took this momentary distraction and attacked. Finally replenished and ready to cast once again, Vivi stood up and aimed a Fire spell at the nearest enemy. I joined the others now that we were on attack mode.

"Let go of me, you freak!" MJM shouted. Attached to his arm was this moogle in what looked like a tuxedo. He was flailing his arm around, trying to get the moogle to let go.

"No, you let go, kupo! I love Kupo Nuts! Gimme it, kupo!" The moogle yelled back. Maybe he should drop the Kupo Nut he has in his hand if he wants his arm back.

I look over to see the fight being waged against the black mages. With their back-up taken care of it looked like Zidane and the others weren't having that hard a time pushing them back. On the sidelines, MJM wrestling with the moogle for control of his arm. He managed to connect two and two together and threw the Nut into the door to the right, where it seemed like another moogle was waiting. The moogle followed the nut and let go of his arm, waddling over clumsily past the dead bodies of the black mages towards the door. MJM pulled his rifle off his back, probably thinking he needed to get rid of the nuisance that was the moogle who hid in the bell, but he didn't manage to get a shot out when Freya swatted the end of it with her spear.

But surprisingly Zorn and Thorn had his back, jumping in with what looked like a synchronized jump and slap attack sequence that caught our resident Burmecian by surprise. The blue clown took out a small pouch and threw what looked like dust on Freya's face. It staggered her and MJM capitalized by hitting her with the butt of his rifle. I directed Zidane's attention to what was happening with Freya before running down to them.

Vivi and Quina were cleaning out the rest of the Type-As as I ran past the Qu. She had hit them with an Aqua Breath, disorienting them and stopping their attacks for a while, which only gave Vivi more of an opportunity to blast them with a Thunder. The added water on their clothes just intensified the effect of the attack and instantly took them out. It just paved the way for us to push forward more to the final room where our biggest fight in this Grotto will take place.

While that was happening, MJM and the two clowns had already retreated with the remaining pieces of their squad. Zidane was tending to Freya, who was trying to touch her eyes after she got hit by whatever nasty thing Zorn and Thorn threw at her, while the happily married moogles were forcing something into Quina's hands. It probably affected her eyesight and Zidane's trying to find eyedrops in his pocket. Vivi and I regroup with the others, my hand already digging through my stuff for some eye drops and handing it over to the thief.

"Everyone alright?" I asked in case we needed to rest up a bit. Zidane and Vivi both nodded, the latter adjusting his hat and staff grip.

"Moogles give me bell." Quina mentioned, pointing to the bell in her hand. It wouldn't be necessary to use since the door ahead was open, but I guess she can have this as a souvenir when she comes back to the Marsh. Said moogles have already left, probably happy they're safe now and content they now have a nice wedding/honeymoon story to share with the other moogles.

Once the eye drops were applied to Freya's eyes, she made some test blinks first before standing up, wiping the excess liquid from the drops with the back of her hand and then facing the door leading to the final room of the grotto. "Thank you. But we musn't waste time. If their forces here is only a small part of the main army then I worry for the fate of Burmecia."

I nod and follow her to the next room, the others close behind. The presence of MJM changes a lot of things and if we don't stop him here he might drastically affect what happens in Burmecia. Plus, if he gets there before us he might report to Queen Brahne. That could mean a lot of things. She might send a whole battalion of her soldiers, which I think would be excessive, or have General Beatrix greet us at the front door. And the problem with that is MJM and his clowns are close to escaping. We need to stop him here.

We stand before a couple of Burmecian bodies strewn across this single straight path surrounded by water. Facing us was this massive octopus-like figure sculpted on the wall with the exit right under it. In the middle of the path were the remaining Alexandrian forces, MJM right behind them with his rifle pointed at us. There's no way for us to circle around them on foot, nowhere to hide from their full frontal assault save for the rubble around us.

"Well, as fun as this whole situation is, this is where we part ways. We don't want those rats to have some beacon of hope stroll in to the city." MJM said, taking a few steps back towards the exit.

"Unfortunate, it is." Thorn laughed.

"Don't worry. We have a guest to keep you company." Zorn raised this bell in his hand. It looked very different from the ones we've used recently. It was red and black with engravings matching the designs we've seen in the grotto. He rang it, the sound echoing into the room as we prepared for what is to come.

An opening appeared beside the octopus wall sculpture just when silence became prevalent and out spilled this massive thing into the water with a big splash, wetting a big part of the path in front of us, causing them to move towards the exit door.

I noticed Freya jump towards our enemies, who were looking at Gizamaluke being dropped in the water, not even waiting for the creature to start attacking us. MJM turned his head at the last minute and saw her already in the air. The moment he told his black mages to fire on her was the moment I started running at them. They had to divide their attention when MJM ordered to attack me instead. Zidane follows my lead and uses his agility to avoid most of the attacks. Vivi managed to give us cover with by freezing one of the mages walking towards us.

Due to the amount of people firing on her, Freya's chances of successfully landing near them without getting hit was low. That was proven right when MJM managed to hit her out of the air when he aimed and shot her with his rifle. I saw her drop into the second body of water in the room as MJM laughed at her falling form. Worried for the Burmecian, Zidane dived into the water after her while I was left to myself in the middle of a magical firing squad.

"Kill them or I will have Gizamaluke kill you instead!" Zorn ordered the black mages. They merely looked back and acknowledged the order.

"Don't worry about them," I hear MJM speak. I move closer and try to attack one of the Type-As and could only cut one down when I feel the wrath of their brethren's thunder spell. A shield would be nice to have right about now. I knew I should have gone and bought one, not that it would stop magic at all, but it would at least help give me some cover from it. Since I don't have one I have to avoid the rest of their attacks, so I roll to my side and drop into the water.

It takes me a few seconds to get used to moving in the water, which I wish I could say the same for my eyes. Not really keen on swimming without goggles so I try to focus around me. It didn't take the same amount of time for me to notice movement somewhere near me. Despite that I looked around. Something from above drops beside me and it's one of the Type-As, probably because of Zidane or Quina storming their position. I stabbed at it, which wasn't easy after the hit I took and the underwater physics not that cooperative as it is above water. It raised its hands, probably to cast a spell or to defend itself, but either way it was too late. Blood seeped out of the wound a little when my sword went it and more when I pulled it out.

Then I feel something nearby. If I wasn't underwater I would have gasped when I saw the red eyes of Gizamaluke staring at me. This massive stingray-like creature was staring me down, its face twisted in an angry sneer and pain. My voice may have not carried through the water, but his roar sure did. I was blasted back and against a wall, causing me to spin around the water before impact, knocking some of the air out of me.

Holding my sword underwater after being knocked around proved to be pretty hard. I knew fighting him down here alone would not be a wise move, even more so when he has a spell that makes use of water. Wouldn't want him to have more of an advantage. So I try to swim back up and hope the black mages aren't waiting there with spells aimed at me.

Gizamaluke was the first to break through to the surface with me like a few seconds behind since the water was somewhat shallow. He hovered over the water while everyone was frozen, even the black mages stopped. There were no signs of MJM and the clowns, the exit door at the end of the room closed, meaning they had already retreated back to Burmecia.

When his glowing red eyes went from Zidane to Freya to Vivi, which told me that Zorn and Thorn's mind control is in full effect. To make it worse, the Type-As focused on the others again with their hands now burning with fire ready to light us up. Just when I thought we had the numbers on our side...

Bellowing at the air, it seemed to be the signal the black mages were waiting for as they started casting their spells. Fantastic. I see Vivi was trying to take cover and Quina using my previous position to hide from the mages' attack. I was about to offer some assistance when Gizamaluke glided past me with his tail intending to smash me against the middle pathway, forcing me to dive down into the shallow water to get away from it. I had to get out of the water quick!

I surface once again and see one of the Type-As nearby. There were five remaining Type-As in their group since Gizamaluke was introduced in the fight. Two of them were still in the middle of the path while the other three were advancing on Freya and Zidane's location near the exit, using some of the debris from the grotto roof as cover. The former Tanatlus member was helping Freya with her wound, her spear probably retrieved by our lovely thief, while Quina was losing ground fast, fire spells chipping away at the frozen black mage cover I used a minute ago. I hurried near one of them and pulled at its leg, knocking him down to the water.

The splash took the other Type-A's attention, looking over to where his comrade used to be. I've already pulled myself up behind him, drenched from head to toe with both of my hands holding my sword, before he could fully turn. Unfortunate with how cowardly this seems, but that's what happens when I'm a plain girl and only have a sword and everyone else has more tricks under their sleeve. So with how brief time I have the upper hand, I strike down the Type-A with two heavy cuts and he falls down the floor. That gives Quina and Vivi some space so they can divert their attention on the bigger fish.

"Quina, we need to help Zidane and Freya," I instructed our resident Qu while pulling out a potion from my items. My movement's gonna be a bit slower with how sopping wet I am but Quina was super dry, meaning she had no trouble barreling through the three Type-As attacking Zidane and Freya's spot, sending them flying into the water. But because of her single-minded attack, Gizamaluke swooped down and swiped at her with his wing-claw. She got a big cut on her apron that sent her tumbling on her back. I had to help push her upright again before the giant teal boss could make another go-around at her.

I heard his mad cry when its tail barely misses us after a burst of fire hits him square on the chest. His focus was redirected to the source of the spell: Vivi, who was all alone at one end of the room. And to make it worse, the Type-As were starting to surface and paddle over to middle path. Without even thinking about it, I give Quina another potion and point to our more experienced friends.

"I'll help out Vivi," was the only thing I managed to say before I turned around and ran towards Vivi. Any of the Type-As trying to pull themselves up was kicked back down as I pass them. Gizamaluke quickly glided to his new target and was about to pass me. "Vivi! Get outta there!"

The problem with being a big monster fighting five people smaller than you is that you take up more space, which is surprising because the grotto is actually bigger than I thought, and because of that it tends to leave you vulnerable even when you're on the offensive. That's what I was trying to take advantage of as he is passing me. His tail skidded against the water near me and I tried getting his attention by cutting at it. Swinging a sword one-handed while running parallel with a target was something I have no training on so my attacks were all over the place, only a third of my total attempts managed to hit.

Maybe it's because the tail is probably the least sensitive limb he has, but he didn't care I was attacking it and was about to flatten Vivi if I didn't do anything. Okay if cutting isn't doing anything then probably stabbing and wiggling my sword in its tail would do something. So I jumped and stabbed my blade into his tail.

It let out a pained howl, finally feeling my attacks on it, but I realized my mistake of holding on when he swung his tail. And because the sword embedded on his tail is my only weapon, I had the dumbest idea of holding on to it. Not a second later after I thought about it I had instantly regretted it when I got taken off the ground and in the air. So there I was dangling off his tail, holding on to the hilt of my sword desperately as Gizamaluke swung his tail around. The good news is that the boss missed Vivi. At least I have that going for me.

As I was trying to pull out my sword, I hear something impale a part above me, causing the mind-controlled creature to slightly falter in the air. I look up and see Freya, a big part of her left chest burnt, likely from the spell that hit her, dangling from her spear implanted on a part of the giant's wing.

"Any game plan?" I ask loud enough for her to hear. I could feel some vibrations coming from the top as I peek past her to see Gizamaluke glaring down at us and growling. The only way he could get us off of him was to slam into the nearest wall that would sure end with them splattered against it.

"There has to be a way for us to wake Master Gizamaluke from Alexandria's control." Freya responded, looking at the creature to see if there was anything she could see directly affecting him.

"If only we knew how to get him back to normal. I hope we don't have to...you know." I didn't want to say it. For all I know he just ends up just knocked out after the boss fight, but this is real now. Killing him is an option, one that I did not want to consider.

"That is not an option! Despite his appearance, Master Gizamaluke is loyal to Burmecia. I would never want to strike him down." Freya reasoned. Okay, thank goodness she wasn't thinking of it too.

Now what can we do to wake him up. Knocking some sense into him is kinda hard when most of your attacks can't hit a flying opponent. I guess that's the first agenda: knock him down to our level so we can hit him hard enough to get him to think straight. That's what most people do when people go loopy, or in this case mind controlled, right?

What after that though? I look around, up above us and down below. There doesn't seem to be any loose portions of the roof. Looks as stable as it can be after suffering from an attack from the Alexandrian black mage army. Guess that's a dud idea. But the water might be useful...

"Get off. Now!" I almost didn't notice Freya falling past me if it weren't for her grabbing my arm. The extra weight made it easier for my sword to slip out of the cut it made on the tail. She landed first and caught me in her arms a second later. If she hadn't helped me out I would have getting smashed against the pillar his tail just hit.

Before I could even say thanks to Freya my relief was immediately taken away when a water sphere formed around us. I was barely able to get a breath in when it fully enclosed. I can almost see Gizamaluke's dark red-eyed glare above us through the water as the sphere applied more pressure against us, as if it was trying to squeeze out the air in our lungs. No matter how I try to move, the sphere would adjust and keep me in the center.

My head starts to spin as the last of my air bubbles through my lips, the world around me blurs, and my chest burns from the lack of oxygen. Not only was I drowning, my body was being slowly crushed. If I had to think about the ways I would die, drowning in a ball of water and lightning would have been at the very top. Regular drowning is still a possibility though.

Then suddenly I drop to the floor. The water just plops down around Freya and I and we take in huge gulps of air. As everything was clearing up, I feel someone land near us. My eyes managed to see something yellow swing and my thoughts slowly go to Zidane. He must've broken Gizamaluke's concentration on us. Thank goodness! We almost died!

"You guys alright? Hope I wasn't too late." I look up and see Zidane holding out a hand. "Trying to distract four mindless drones on my own is kinda hard, especially when there's a bigger one trying to crush me."

"Funny that...the actor's the one having a...hard time retaining an audience." I tried to comment between breaths. I gladly accepted his hand and helped up. He chuckled at my wisecrack as I try to shake off the dizziness.

When I got myself straightened out, my eyes identified a big cut on Gizamaluke right where his body and tail met. Then my eyes manage to catch Quina jumping safely into the water at the right time as Gizamaluke nearly hits the spot she was standing on. One of the Type-As were still in the water and had attempted to attack the novice chef, only to be surprised by her quick swimming as she headbutted it. Vivi's cry of effort reached my ears, meaning I didn't have a lot of water in my ears anymore, as one of his spells hit our enemy. Because of this, the master of the Grotto redirects himself and whips his tail at the three of us, sending us for another trip to the drink. I'm getting tired of getting wet and we're not even in Burmecia yet.

As I was catching my breath, I catch Vivi running toward us, trying to dodge the spells aimed at him, but he had a bigger problem when I see the winged giant focus on him again. I desperately swim back to the platform, hoping an idea would come to me to distract, but nothing came into mind as he sailed at our black mage. The moment he saw this he turned around and ran TOWARDS the other black mages on the platform. They didn't know how to react to this and just kept showering his direction with spells. I couldn't catch what he was saying, but it sounded desperate. Probably telling Quina to move since the big bad blue monster was right behind him, who was standing behind the two manmade mages. Even Zidane wasn't fast enough to jump out and get him out of the way.

As luck would have it, Vivi hit the ground at the right moment, taking the two Type-A mages with him with the massive tail missing him by mere inches. Quina had moved as Vivi had shouted and nailed our enemy with an Aqua Breath. It was a direct hit to the face as Gizamaluke recoiled and swayed in the air, his tail being swung in random directions. His blind attacks did connect with the Qu, catching her on the side and sent her tumbling near our way. On impact with the platform, a melodic chime filled the air. The noise caused Gizamaluke to twitch erratically and almost drop from the air.

This made me run to Quina immediately. "I alright. Hurt, but okay."

"Excuse me, Quina, but mind if I check your apron." I didn't wait for an okay since I was already grabbing the first thing I come into contact with her apron pocket. I pull it out and examine it. It was the bell the moogles gave to her. My eyes go over it and then to Gizamaluke, who had recovered and wondered where we were. The moment he turned to us I rang the bell. He jerked away from the sound and was about to fall out of the air if he didn't adjust and save himself. "We can use this to snap him out of it!" I turn to the others, glad to have figured something out, still ringing it just in case it would make him regain his senses.

Before I could lay out a plan, Zidane pulls me down right before the creature loyal to Burmecia could swipe at me. Apparently, my ringing got a bit excessive and he just wanted me to stop. Dunno it it's hurting the guy or that's the mind control struggling with...the mind control. As Vivi stuns him with a fire spell, I get to Freya and Quina.

"Okay, we'll be playing hot potato with the bell for just a bit. Just ring it a bit and then throw it to the next person when he tries to go for you." Freya looked at me as if I was actually suggesting we play a game. "But it's just to get Gizamaluke in position. Somewhere over the water would be nice. You're our best bet to get him there, Freya, since you're very agile. You're up first Quina. Throw it to me when you get his attention. Once he's over the water, Vivi will blast him with magic and Zidane will help put him in the water for more magic blasting." They nod in understanding. "Alright, team! Break!" Then we break away to get into a good spot. Meanwhile, I run over to behind Gizamaluke's tail and take a stab at it. The moment he turns, I get around him to Zidane and Vivi.

"Vivi, we need you to focus a blizzard on his face when he's over the water. Then, you go for the knock down." I tell to Vivi and Zidane respectively. Quina was on the other side of the room swinging her arms as she rang the bell. Gizamaluke roared and went after her.

"What do I do until then?" Zidane asks.

"Uh...probably don't let the other mages attack...?" I answer. When it left my lips, however, did I find it strange.

"But they're not attacking anymore." Zidane pointed out. I see them scattered all around the room looking at our direction but their hands weren't raised to cast spells at us. That's what I found strange. I wasn't able to dwell on it when I hear Quina shout.

"Catch!" She throws the bell as far as she can, but it clipped part of Gizamaluke's wing and had fallen far from where I was.

The Grotto Keeper noticed this and quickly went after it to get rid of it after he missed Quina. I already started running the moment he turned around and left my sword near Vivi so I could get there faster. I may have gotten to the bell first, but Gizamaluke was already so close that I was barely able to throw it to Freya, who had put her spear into the wall over the body of water at the side of the room and stood carefully on it. Not even three seconds later I feel the full force of Gizamaluke's massive form hit me like a speeding truck on a highway.

The ringing continued despite that, his body once again fighting with his mind, and went after the source. Moaning in pain, I get propped up with the help of Zidane so at least I could sit by him and Vivi. It was a big hit, but it was something I was willing to take. If Blake was here he's gonna tell me that what I did was stupid. At least Freya got the bell, right?

"Hope this works." I hear Zidane mutter as he steps forward, taking my place and was about to make the catch. Exactly when Gizamaluke turned to keep his eyes on the bell, Vivi blasted him with a blizzard spell and it completely covered his face with a layer of ice. The massive serpent thrashed about in a desperate attempt to regain his eyesight and get revenge on the one who did this to him. But for us it was enough time to strike.

Our thief jumped on the opportunity and planted his daggers on Gizamaluke's spine. It roared in pain and tried to get Zidane off his back, only to hit the wall where Freya used to be, knocking him down to the water. Before he could get another attempt, Zidane stabbed him again at a different part of his back.

"Bring on the thunder, Vivi!" I called. Vivi pointed his palms to the water and thunder struck it with Zidane jumping out at the very last second. Caught in the water conducting the foreign element, intensifying the damage being put on him, The mind-controlled creature erratically flopped about as the electricity ran through him. Freya couldn't bear to look at him as we put him through this. It was cruel, but it was better than killing. I mutter an apology to Freya. It was my idea after all.

After a half minute I wave it off. Vivi stops channeling his magic and the mind controlled keeper of the grotto finally went limp.

My mind couldn't worry about his condition, if he was still under the clowns' control or if he's still alive, but Zidane points out the subtlest movement of Gizamaluke's back. He was breathing through the water at least. That gave Freya some relief. She may have lost her comrades guarding this grotto, at least she managed to save one person here.

"We must hurry," Freya started to move towards the door when a groan filled the room. Our eyes went to the water again as the winged giant started moving.

"Ah...this must be my...punishment for falling for those...lunatics' tricks." Another wave of groaning filled the air. Freya was the first to go to his side as he floated near the pathway.

"Master Gizamaluke, please save your strength!" She said to him. Against her wise words, he turned over so he could see who was talking to him. Instead of angry and crazed red eyes we were met with a serene and humbled set of blue hues, lighter than his skin. "I'm sorry, sir! We came as fast as we could, yet we were unable to stop those who attacked the grotto. And they forced us to cause harm unto you."

"No need to apologize...dragon knight." He addressed her, his voice still clearly holding back a lot of pain. "You've done what you could."

"Baddies escaped." Quina summarized.

"But don't worry, they're not gonna get out of this for long." Zidane declared. The rest of us nodded. Freya was going through her items as the freed serpent continued to speak.

"I pray our beloved city...does not fall in their hands. You must not worry about me. You must...make haste. His Majesty is...in danger." The reminder of their goal made Freya immediately pull out a vial from her stuff. A hi-potion vial. She uncorked the top and fed its contents to the injured Gizamaluke.

"I swear on my honor as a dragon knight, the king will be rescued and Alexandria will be punished for what they have done to you and my people." With her resolve strengthened, Freya led the way to the door with bell in hand. Its ringing melody harmonized with the door's bell. Then I felt a tug on my hand. I turn and see Vivi doing it.

"What about them?" He asks me, pointing to the other side of the room. Standing there were the four remaining Type-A black mages left to hold this grotto. For some reason they were not attacking, just staring blankly at our direction. They must've witnessed the final moments of the fight and our conversation. They had all those opportunities to attack us, but they didn't. Very weird…

I honestly didn't know what to do. Maybe they've finally gotten sentience? Maybe this is them breaking down after a defeat? I dunno! Of all the changes I've encountered, this one is the strangest. My answer was to silently hold my sword to my side. I hope they won't attack now though. I'd rather be sure that they're going to attack than hastily make a decision.

The others noticed my tense stance and stood beside me, keeping an eye on the mages as Freya unlocked the door. I'm not sure if it was us staring back at them or if they've reached a silent consensus, but they turned their backs on us and started walking back to the previous room. Again, can't help but stress this enough, this is so weird. Everyone in the room managed to relax a little after their departure. The sound of shattering and the door being opened caught our attention. Wherever they're going, I hope they're not out to kill more people.

Freya then addressed us as we exited the final door of the grotto, leaving Gizamaluke to recover from his wounds. "Let us go. We have more ground to cover."


	27. The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The City of Eternal Rain, a painful visit

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 26: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

\- Alyssa -

Freya is right. We had tons of ground to cover. Not only did MJM and the clowns had a huge lead, they were also not as fatigued as us. Sure I can count any possibly encounters they have with some of the mist monsters around here, but they didn't have to fight a giant mind controlled serpent and a lot of their manufactured black mages just to get through the Grotto. We had fewer potions and less energy than we had when we entered it. They still had more soldiers and mages, including a very skilled and powerful general in their frontline.

So here we are, nearly done making our way to Burmecia. The skies not stopping in dropping its little tears, our clothes almost fully drenched and sticking to our skin, not offering us or the enemy any comfort as it continued its eternal rain. I'd resorted to putting on using my old shirt on my head, yet that only protected me for so long before any warmth it offered were washed away by the raindrops.

Our approach was planned by Freya. She said it would serve us no purpose to waltz in through the front. If MJM and the clowns had any common sense they would surely have already alerted the rest of the Alexandrian offensive that a small group will be coming to save the city they have just attacked. The enemy will be on the lookout for us and will see us coming if we went with a full frontal assault. No, not like _that_ full frontal assault!

That's why we're walking alongside the mountain to avoid that problem. However, I'm still unsure we'll be able to find a side entrance to city that built a wall to protect themselves from any mist monsters outside their borders. But I trust Freya. She may be the only one who has lived in Burmecia, though she's been away for quite a while (a LOOONG while), yet that's enough to entrust our approach to her. Plus, she's the only one who has military training and cunning compared to everyone else in the group.

Currently, we are trying to conserve our energy as we get near the city. We're not running to tire us out when we do get there. It's more like a brisk walking pace that usually ends with some rest before going on so that we're not totally vulnerable if we do encounter some monsters. We had to pick our battles out here in the mist. If we can take them, we do as fast as we can and hope we don't get hit. If not, we flee towards Burmecia and hope the monsters don't have a big attention span when we get far enough.

Night had started to cover the world with our current pace. That's another positive thing going for us, nature helping us out with our stealth approach. Not only is the rain going to be covering any noise we are making, the darkness will also cover us from any lookouts, hopefully, until we're deep inside the city when it's too late to raise an alarm.

This is starting to become like one of those shows and movies, like White House Down, Die Hard, and 24 where the heroes, who are clearly outnumbered and outgunned (or in this case out-sworded and out-magiced) have to sneak in the place they took over and get by with just their wits to outsmart the enemy and stop them before they unleash their master plan. Winning against all odds, prevailing over the bad guys and whatnot, you know? And not that I'm saying we're gonna pull it off. I do hope with all the changes the world's going to experience that something changes here, something positive for us.

When we did manage to get a few feet within the city, we did notice a pair of black mages standing by the entrance. They didn't stay there for long and went back in, possibly following a patrolling pattern of sweeping the entrance area in case any surviving Burmecians try to escape. We sneaked further and reached a point where the mountain meets the city walls. Freya pointed out what looked like a crack in the wall further away from us and it required a bit of a climb up the side of the mountain, which was not made easier by the weather. And so we climbed, slipped a bit and fell a few times, but eventually got to it. The crack turned out to be a hole big enough to fit Quina in if she pulled her gut in.

"So… this is Freya's home…" Zidane commented as he scanned the area.

Burmecia didn't look that bad from the outside, but being inside and seeing the damage the Alexandrian attackers brought to it was disheartening. Portions of the buildings around us were burned and some pieces torn apart. A lot of debris from broken windows, blasted doors, destroyed merchant stalls, wagons left in pieces were scattered in the street. Just at the corner I could see a Burmecian citizen slumped against a wall with his spot having blood gather around them. An awful way to go. And it almost sounded too empty even with the raindrops hitting us and the ground. If Freya swears that the city is much more beautiful in the rain before she left I would believe her. Gosh, I know the game has a few survivors when the party arrives, but it certainly doesn't look like there would be any just by looking around.

Zidane also noticed Freya's hesitance to step through the crack. "What are you doing? C'mon and get over here." Ever since we got near she had been slowing her roll for some reason the others didn't understand. I did.

She's been away from her country, from her home, for a long time. It's like being homesick, but you're afraid if things are going to be the same ever again. Will your home take you back with open arms or turn you away for leaving? Her situation's different than mine since she has spent her absence from her duties and responsibilities looking for the man she loves. Mine's not being able to look at my home the same after what had happened to my parents. It's not the same, but I get how she feels. At least her reason for being hesitant in returning home isn't traumatic…

"It's been five years. I've been away for so long. Not a night went by when I didn't dream about home." Freya ducks under and passes through the crack in the wall, letting the familiarity wash over her like what the rain is doing to the rest of us. I could've sworn I saw a tear slide down her well hidden face as she looks up and breathes in the air of her hometown. She kneels down the cracked stone floor of the city and runs a hand against it. "I can't believe I'm here… I am no longer the selfish child I was five years ago. The time has come for me to serve my kingdom as a Burmecian dragon knight once again!"

Zidane thumped his chest after hearing her declaration. "I'll do what I can to help."

"Us too!" I added, putting my arms around Quina and Vivi, both nodding in agreement. We see the dragon knight put on a smile. It felt like she was accepting our help but was still a certain pain around it. Does she regret not coming home sooner? I didn't push to ask why since it wasn't my place so we just left it at that. Zidane lead the way towards the center of the city with Freya right behind us.

As empty the streets look now, we had to take into account the other parties in here. We know there's black mages patrolling, but we don't know how many of them and which way they're going. Our group had to rely on Zidane and Freya's thief senses and city know-how to be able to maneuver around the streets without alerting anyone. So here we are slowly making our ways through alleys and streets, stopping at each end for Zidane's 'all clear' signal before crossing the street or moving to any safe spots.

The sights of the broken city and the aftermath of Alexandria's arrival was distracting to me as my mind would occasionally wonder as to what happened in the invasion. Distracting in a 'my god, this is awful' way that my eyes couldn't help but stare at one or two of the bodies we walked past and because of this Quina would bump into me. Totally my fault. I should pay more attention. I just can't help and feel bad. Surely there's something that could've been done to at least soften the blow Burmecia gets, yet I can't think of anything aside from writing another letter to avoid being caught.

I do hope my letter gets taken seriously by the Regent so they could avoid this type of disaster happening to them. I'd feel worse if that's the only thing I manage to do and still not change anything for the better.

"What is it with this rain?" All of us stopped before reaching the end of the street when we heard unfamiliar voices. We had to retreat into one of the nearest open doors as silently as we can without alerting the person talking. Zidane and I were closest to the corner and we both decided to take a peek.

Just a street away we see two Alexandrian soldiers standing under one of the balconies to get away from the constant drizzle. Both of them looked annoyed, one of them even more so. They huffed and complained as they tried to dry themselves.

"Rain's good and all, especially right now when it gets super-hot around noon back home, but this is just ridiculous." The other soldier beside her sighed.

"I know we're doing what the queen wants, but she could've at least given us more clothes during this attack." The first one gestured to her skimpy uniform. Yeah, whoever designed that bathing suit lookalike outfit was probably fantasizing this or gave this design as a dare.

"At least some more layers just for this rain. Some pants would be nice. Tights, sleeves, more armor anyone?"

"You'd think they would consider that since, from what I heard, the queen's been planning to invade for a while."

"Exactly! It's like someone neglected the needed logistics for this entire thing."

Guess not even the attacking army isn't satisfied with how things went despite their success so far. Sure, it's because of something out of their control, yet it's something they should've planned ahead.

Anyway, I was trying to think what we should do for this. We could wait for them to move on. The flip side for that is they may stay there for a while even though they're patrolling. All that complaining about the rain are valid points and they might want to stay under a roof. On the other hand, we can try and take them out. But they're a street away so we might consider getting around them with a different route.

"What are you two lollygagging around for!?" The two soldiers suddenly snapped their mouths shut and stood straight when another woman walked into the fray. With how her two other comrades are reacting, she's not someone you'd want to catch you goofing off. "I better not catch you two slacking off after I complete my patrol. The general's going to have my head if she finds out we haven't been thorough."

"Yes ma'am!" Her subordinates nodded.

"Now get going." They saluted and went their own routes.

"Uh oh." That was Zidane when he noticed one of the soldiers is heading this way. We were in what looked like the remains of a store put out of pasture the moment the invasion started. We tried to get into any place that can hide us in the building. Vivi retreated to the farthest part of the store, Freya leaning behind a big bookcase, I hid behind the door and held on to the doorknob in case the wind moved it and revealed my cover, Zidane used his tail to hold on to the broken pipes above us, and Quina managed to slide herself into a set of curtains with her feet almost showing.

Her boots got louder and louder until she was pretty much passing our location, her annoyed grumblings about the rain under her breath still kinda audible to us. Just when we're about to be in the all clear, the pipe Zidane was using creaked under his weight. The soldier's boots stopped clicking. The sound of a sword being drawn catches my attention, and surely Zidane's as I see him try to adjust his tail's grip. Her boots no longer sounded like they were on cobblestone as a second later she's walking on wood, her movement definitely slowed down to take in her surroundings.

Zidane is pressing so much against the ceiling he's almost part of it, but if the pipe he's using had already groaned, it would surely do it again. The moment it does he'd be vulnerable. I slip closer to the edge of the door to see where she was. Turns out she's right above Zidane. One wrong move from him would get him caught. I have to do something…

His eyes catch mine and we both nod at each other. One second later, I move the door just enough to make a sound. The new noise definitely got her attention, causing her to turn towards me. As she's pointing the sword to me, Zidane lands feet first on her back. Her sword clatters away from her grasp and I immediately pull it towards me in case she manages to get out of Zidane's hold on her. He had her mouth covered and an arm around her neck, the former not letting her shout for back-up if there were any nearby and the latter to choke her out.

"How many of you are there?" I demanded, my voice a careful whisper. Zidane would've let her answer if she didn't bite his finger off and almost wrestled him off her back. The thunder magic from Vivi did stun her enough to be taken down by the former actor. Soon she was out of breath and unconscious from his sleeper hold.

The thief sighed in relief once she wasn't fighting him anymore. That's one baddie down. How many more to go, I dunno. I'm down to get to our destination without any problems, but if we have to do this every time someone stumbles on us then I'd rather we keep strictly stealthy and just sneak past without any potential casualties. Don't want to add to the body count they've already established here. Plus, they'd have to check with each other. If they find out any of their fellow soldiers are missing then that would be suspicious and add more problems for us. Might as well avoid that while we can.

"They've brought their very best, I see." Freya noted, apparently also listening to the solder talk we got. I shouldn't be surprised that she heard since she has to be alert, but that one little tidbit caught her attention. And it should be expected since General Beatrix is why her love left the country. Still with that in mind, I jumped when I heard her voice.

"We move?" Quina asked, emerging from her hiding spot. But before we did, I tore the curtains she hid behind and used it as rope and tied her feet and hands together. Might as well detain her for the time being. Once I was done, Zidane nodded to the Qu's question and we started moving.

Our group listened to Freya's directions as she pointed us towards the upper level of the city. We had to go through a specific part of the city so we can get up there. This current district of Burmecia we were in wasn't that close to the one connecting to the palace. As my experience with Lindblum, this city is bigger than it looks in the game, which might be unfair because the game only covers like two streets, three rooms before that big staircase, said staircase, the armories, and the palace itself.

According to Freya, the staircase going to the King's Palace is at the center of the city gated by a bell entrance and secured away from the ordinary citizens. I bet the black mages didn't have any problem breaking in with their bubble-travel-things that allows them to pick wherever they want to land.

She says that there wouldn't be any other way in, unless we all suddenly got the ability to leap over a wall in a single bound. So we need to sneak close to the bell door and find the bell in order to get to the Palace. What we don't know if they've already found the bell and destroyed/hidden it to keep it closed. Though as we made our way towards it, however, we noticed the increasing number of soldiers and black mages patrolling the area. I guess it is common sense to have more people stationed here in case there were more residents and survivors in the Palace.

Being stealthy with the five of us not being seen got harder the closer we got to the center of town. I nearly slipped on a broken cobblestone brick and my yelp got the attention of a black mage. He didn't stick around long enough to find us hiding in an alley though. You could've expected Vivi to trip on himself, but he's pretty much as silent as a whisper in the wind as he closely followed the thief's lead. Quina also nudged a cart too hard as we were moving down a street and it broke apart. We had to book it as fast as we can without making any more noise before a group of soldiers came to see what was going on. Zidane even quietly considered to knock out at least two soldiers we were passing by. I had to tell him they would get suspicious if someone goes missing.

We decided to rest a bit in an empty house just a couple of blocks away from the building Freya pointed out housed the way to the Palace. It was a two-story house with the inside looking like it was ransacked. There were only two windows at the second floor, but it was enough for us to see the streets outside with barely a glimpse of the heavily guarded building.

"There's three sets of soldiers just walking up and down that street." Zidane observed from his window seat. "Also, six black mages standing guard at the door. Dunno if there's more inside."

"We need to get them away from there if we're to sneak in without anyone seeing us." I say to the others while I was wringing water out of my hair at a sink. We've taken turns in using the bathroom to briefly dry ourselves out. Poor Vivi had his clothes almost drop off him before he dried himself carefully with his fire magic.

"Fighting them wouldn't be a good idea." Vivi added, taking a seat away from the windows.

"Not yet. Until we are sure that they have the king in their custody or have confirmed that he has fled the city, fighting them will be out of the question." Freya put a hand under her chin, possibly considering the chances of her king's current condition. "And they are also looking for us in case we have broken through their ranks."

Zidane leaned away from the window, running a gloved hand through his wet hair. He didn't bother drying himself off since he knew we'd have to go back out there in a few minutes. His poor tail looked like a limp tissue roll constantly trying to wave itself dry. "So what are the chances that they'd have to look for us if they find a big commotion?"

Causing a big commotion might be a bit reckless. If they even happen to catch a glimpse of us then they'd alert their whole forces, large search parties would fill the streets. "Pretty big," was all I say to that.

But the risk would be worth it if we get in. The problem I have with that is if they have more people in the palace…

"But we gotta make sure it's a lot of noise worth looking at." I add just a second later after considering our options.

Both Zidane and Freya nodded. I guess we really are going with the decoy route for this one. As long as things go smoothly then things will end up pretty great for us.

We had to divide the party into two groups. Zidane and Vivi take their spots the farthest, about seven blocks away from the building connecting to the upper level of the city. That leaves Freya, Quina, and I attempting to draw the attention of the Alexandrian forces. We're pretty much in danger of getting spotted more than the others.

How are we going to get their attention? Property damage and loud noises.

Quina and I will go around making as much noise as possible. Since she's the more powerful of the two of us, I'll find a good place for us to break and smash things. Freya will keep a lookout for any of the patrols. Don't want us getting prematurely caught.

Zidane and Vivi are going to gather enough dry objects right outside someone's home and burn them. Seeing smoke in a rainy city will definitely get them worried that something's happening. That'll get them running. Zidane told me that seeing some of their comrades knocked out would give them incentive to make a search around their area, but he's not going out of his way to find someone just to knock them out. If any of them cross their paths, it'll be sleepy time for them. Not really a good thing since we've avoided a bunch of soldiers and black mages just to get where we were. Except for that one soldier. Hope she hasn't been found out yet.

We managed to find what looked like the city's marketplace. Abandoned carts and items were sure getting wasted since the invasion went by. Not everything was destroyed though, which makes it easier for us to double down on what the Alexandrian's have already wrecked. That's not all! There's also a bar just down the street. Glass bottles means loud noises! Plus, I've seen a few bar fights in movies before. I kinda want to break a stool over something now since I have the chance.

"Sorry for what we're about to do, Freya." I apologize in advance. "I hope your people can forgive us for what we're about to do to their belongings."

Freya nodded solemnly before jumping to the nearest rooftops. I placed her in the marketplace, despite Quina's protests ("Food not be wasted. Food precious!"), and I went to the bar since things are easier to destroy there. I gave Quina the signal so she can start us off. She grabs one of the farthest cart and begins pushing it down the street. Her aim stayed true as she forced it towards a wall. The contents of the cart went flying the instant it hit the bricks in front of it, a cruel smash that made me cringe upon hearing it.

That must've turned heads somewhere. I followed her lead by throwing bottles of beer with brands I barely took a look at. Each glass bottle fragmented and broke apart against the cobblestone floor of the street outside as I threw them out of the glass window that wasn't there anymore. Booze started pooling in a puddle outside with each bottle I threw out. Single bottles weren't going to be enough so I looked for more things to break. Hidden behind the counter were crates of bottles. Sure they were heavier and would have to be carried with two hands, but were more satisfying to break when I just toss them with all my might and they land in a chorus of glass shattering.

When I ran out of crates to toss out, I went to the back and found the kegs placed there. Of course, they were heavier than four crates combined, meaning my arms wouldn't allow me to try giving them a lift. I called out to Quina, who popped her head in after two attempts and helped with throwing them out. I had to look out and see how much carnage Quina made. It was like she went 'Zaghnol in a China shop' all over that place. It was by the third keg throw that Freya landed near our recently disposed keg. She pointed to where the heavily guarded building with her spear, wordlessly warning us that we finally have their attention. We nodded in understanding before attempting to put down the keg Quina and I had.

"Hold it right there!" A sword came for the dragon knight. She was able to intercept it with a sudden turn when she heard hurried footsteps hitting shallow puddles behind her, holding up her spear in defense of the surprise blow. With a push and a jump backwards, she was able to put some space between her and the two attacking individuals coming from the direction of the city entrance. A single soldier and a Type-A black mage. "Better put that spear of yours down before you end up like the rats we exterminated."

The insult on her Burmecian countrymen was not appreciated as she stabbed at the soldier. She could hold her own against them with her spear skills, but she didn't have the time to single-handedly hand them their asses. So I grabbed a stool while they were pre-occupied. Before the Type-A could hit her with a fire spell, the stool in my hands cracked against his head and knocked him down instantly. The Alexandrian heard the impact and was distracted. She wasn't able to get to me when a keg hit her in the side, knocking the air out of her lungs as it sent her to the ground.

She struggled to move the keg off her gut. It didn't matter because Freya's spear knocked against her helmet and KO'd her. Before we left her there, I moved the keg off her so she wouldn't wake up with a crushed lung. I'm not heartless, you know!

Various voices started coming our way. That was when we knew we had their attention. We retreated through various alleys and houses, stopping when a group of the invaders ran past to investigate the ruckus we started streets away, so we can regroup with the others. A look at the dark skies and the rising black smoke somewhere in the city gave me the confirmation that Zidane and Vivi were able to do their part successfully. They must've retreated already. In our hurried but cautious pace, we managed to meet back with them in just a few minutes with no other encounters.

"What is the meaning of this!?" All of us heard a shrill voice coming from connecting building to the upper level. A single figure emerged out of the door, a blue and white attired clown as tall as my chest who was dry compared to his other fellow invaders. And he was holding something in his hands. Is that an umbrella!? Wow, someone with common sense! "All that racket will displease the queen!"

"They have finally arrived, have they?" His red and white partner emerged from a balcony with a question.

"Perhaps it is more of those rats." I could hear Freya grinding her teeth at the casual racist remark Zorn let out.

"Hmpf! Doesn't matter, I say. Wiped them out, our army will have done by now."

"Nonetheless, I want all of you to see what that is. If they are Burmecian, wipe them out! The queen does not like sloppiness." Zorn ordered the soldiers and black mages around him.

With their orders dispensed, they went back to what they were doing before the interruption while the soldiers and mages under them went out to follow instructions. Er…whatever that is clowns with magical abilities do for a power-hungry queen. Aside from talking eidolons from their daughters, of course.

There's the clowns, but where's MJM…?

Our resident thief knew that this is our chance, who took the lead by running through the alleys to get a good spot for a point of attack. Their reduced guards made it easier and less stressful to approach where Zorn and Thorn are. Sure there were only three Type-A mages left behind guarding the very door we need to go through, at least it saves the time and blood and sweat and tears we would have gone through if their entire battalion was still here.

Vivi blasted the two mages closest to the door with a blizzard, the water on them making it easier to freeze them. The remaining one wasn't able to investigate when Zidane's full weight landed on him as he turned, and the thief took a second to see if he was still alive or not. His attack didn't kill, thankfully, and he started dragging the mage to where his frozen brethren were.

We pulled the three mages inside the door Zorn used. After further solidifying the ice around them, Zidane exited through the door after clarifying what he was about to do, "I'm going for that red clown. You guys see if the blue one knows anything."

The four of us ascended to the next floor where we heard some grumblings. I opened the door only to find an open balcony wet from the rain, a closed door leading to the Palace grounds, and a blue wearing clown pacing back and forth under his umbrella.

He didn't realize we were the intruders when he stopped with his back turned to us. "I told you I don't want to see any of you unless it's important! If the King of Burmecia is not kneeling for Queen Brahne when I turn around, I will make sure General Beatrix will let you feel her displeasure."

His confidence vanished and a whimper came out of his mouth when he turned and found the tip of Freya's spear under his chin. "My king will never kneel for a dishonorable queen."

"H-How dare you!" He cried.

"You're looking for the King of Burmecia. If he's not here then why stick around?" I step forward, hand on my sword hilt in case he tries something funny.

"As if I will answer to you, you insolent brat!" Zorn's threat was met with Freya inching her spear close to his neck.

"Where's the bell for this door?" Vivi wondered, pointing to the door standing in our way, one that's similar to the ones in Gizamaluke's Grotto.

The blue and white attired clown chose not to say anything this time. He looked almost surprised to see Vivi act independently and speak freely, but stared down at Freya's weapon once he got his composure back, almost pleading not to scratch him. If he's not going to answer any of our questions then he's going to be really useless.

"I brought curtains." Quina suddenly piped up, pulling out a torn portion of the curtain we had used earlier from her apron.

"Let's see if my knots are still as tight as I can tie them." Might as well tie him up so he won't go anywhere.

It took a few minutes, but our lovable thief eventually got back to us. Vivi and Quina were on guard when the door opened. "Whoa guys, I have a bell from that other guy! Maybe we can use this somewhere." Zidane emerged from the door with a bell in his hands as we were finishing up tying Zorn's arms and legs together, with a tiny bit shoved in his mouth so he couldn't make a sound. I was still busy making sure that Zorn wouldn't be able to break out on his own, yet not too tight. I'm not that cruel, y'know. This should occupy him until his back-up arrives.

"Very good. Now let us open this door." Freya accepted the bell and rang it.

It started to harmonize with the one on the door, slowly opening it as it continued to ring for a few more seconds. Then there was a sound like a crack of thunder that sent my ears ringing. There wasn't a flash above us to let me know the skies were about to make it rain harder, but that was when I should've paid more attention to what was happening around me.

Specifically the thing that whizzed past my face. If it wasn't for the hand that grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled I would've gotten hit.

My eyes narrowed in realization as to what was that. The crack in the air wasn't thunder. My head turns towards the opening door. I saw a figure standing at the very top of the stairs leading to the Palace, almost silhouetted by the light from the cloudy skies if it weren't for the torches by the stairs. Time looked like it had slowed down when I realized what I was seeing. Looking down at us behind a smoking barrel of his rifle with a grin visible from where I stood despite the distance, MJM stood there content that he now has our complete attention.

I couldn't react after it happened. It was like my body was frozen. Looking up a past scene eerily familiar flashed in my eyes, a smaller gun pointed past my head with its owner grinning wickedly. Just as the handgun was moving towards me, seeing it nearly point at my head made me flinch, it vanished into my memory and I was back looking at a staircase leading towards the Burmecian palace.

Zorn started making noises, wildly trying to get loose from his binds as if he was demanding something from the gun-toting man above us or yelling at him because he also almost got shot. Not sure which one. But as fast as his bullet had traveled, he had turned his back at us and retreated towards the King's Palace without a word.

All of us were silent as time started to pass normally just a second later. Even Zorn had stopped struggling when he saw his comrade retreat to the Palace. I found myself snapping into attention when the bell stopped ringing, the entrance to the Palace now wide open and the bell in Freya's hand had disintegrated. I didn't notice her standing there stock still looking at me, her hand had stopped moving way before the bell stopped ringing.

Vivi rushed to my side, looking shocked. "Are you okay!?"

It took a while for his voice to register in my ears. Something touched my shoulders that made me flinch, only to realize it was the black mage's and that I'd been shaking. And it wasn't from how cold the air and rain was. I nod weakly before looking over my shoulder. Zidane stood there, resting his hand on my back where he had pulled me away from danger just a second earlier.

MJM knew we were already here and waited at the top of the stairs. He would've almost killed me if it wasn't for Zidane and his reflexes. Yet back in the Grotto he was easily messing around with everyone, even with Zorn and Thorn and basically didn't give a shit as to what they were doing while going along with them. He even says he's glad to be stringing me along for some reason. Now? He almost wastes me after all that? What is going on?

While I was wondering this, Freya approaches to check if I was alright. My nod was probably a bit too uncertain. The question everyone had in their minds came from her in the form of a whisper. "What in the world was that weapon?"

There's an obvious answer here for me, but the moment I say something about his rifle, even saying what type of weapon it is, would give me away. As much as I disagreed with Blake about changing things, his opinion on revealing who we really are is something I'm very hesitant on. Zidane and Vivi are my friends with Freya starting to become one and Quina closely trailing behind, but saying that I'm from a different dimension who knows things she shouldn't normally would put a damper on my relationship with them. What makes it worse is I don't have anything to prove that. So as bad as this sounds I'm forced to stay quiet.

"Whatever that is, he's dangerous with it." Zidane said, also checking if I was alright.

"I-I'm fine guys. Really!" I assured them. It kinda didn't work when it sounded more of a shudder and less of a statement. I can say that I'm fine all I want, but getting shot's not something you can easily ignore. Trying to shake it off was really difficult, especially when it just happened. Just take deep breaths… "What we need to do is go after him. Who knows who else he has hurt."

They agreed with that notion, making my attempt to change the topic a success. We then rushed up the stairs and left Zorn under the mercy of the rain. They were talking about how the Palace could possibly be in ruins. I can hear them talk, but their words were just going through one ear and out of the other. I can't help but focus on MJM and the mystery of who he is in this world. He's a simple problem, unlike Vivi's existential questions. I just need an identity and it might solve everything. Dunno how I can prove if he's from here or not, but any answer is better than being in the dark.

I can't help but wonder though. Is this what everyone will feel like if they happen to figure out that I'm not who I say I am?

It's a can of worms that I don't want to open right now. Dunno when I'll be prepared to open it, but hopefully it'll be soon. I can't possibly carry all this baggage about everyone I know here without it affecting me sooner or later.

"Who are you!? Are you in league with the black mages?" My eyes snap up above me. We'd gotten to the entrance of a destroyed building. I hear shushed cries just a level beneath us. Just past here should be the Palace. For now we have some cover from the rain, at least for a few more moments.

But standing between us was a group of Burmecians, two of them pointing swords at us. One of them was being held up by a woman, his grip on his sword was weak, but the other guy had double the courage and determination to compensate for his friend's lack of strength. My mind wandered again as Zidane denied said alleged allegiance to the enemy. Freya backed his claim and calmed down the antsy soldier.

There was nothing I could contribute here anyway. The others can get them to stand down without my help. They need to get to Cleyra as fast as they can before the soldiers and black mages can regroup outside.

Yet, Cleyra isn't all that safe…

Before I knew it, I've opened my mouth. "Maybe you should go to Lindblum instead."

The healthier soldier, Dan, turns to me. He has this weird look on his face, probably of hesitance, confusion, and anger. "That's farther than the safe haven Cleyra is. My buddy might not survive if we happen to encounter monsters on our way there."

I had already dug up a potion or two from my items as I tried to explain. "The Regent sent us here. We might've been too late, but if you can get there you'll be able to help Lindblum launch a counterattack or give aid to Cleyra. What you've seen here would be very helpful if they were to understand what to expect from this type of enemy."

He takes in what I said as I hand over the potions. "Alright. We'll head to Lindblum instead. Thanks." He looks over to Freya, who seems to be also analyzing what I said. "Freya, if you happen to see the king, please protect him."

"I will." Freya's brief assurance to rescue the King gave the group their needed encouragement to go ahead and flee to safety. Once they were running towards where we came from, we moved on. I really can't help myself, can I? That's another change, probably one that'll support my first attempt to warn The Regent, that I've directly made.

"Going to Lindblum might be perilous, but you are right, Alyssa." Freya spoke up as she walked past me towards the door.

"I hope it helps stop Alexandria from doing any more damage." I whisper before catching up with the others.

We briefly took cover in the armories of the Palace to get our bearings before charging into the fray. Freya allowed us to take a look at the available weaponry the Palace has stored and even gave us permission to take any if there's anything we can use. So Vivi, Quina, and I went to the right side of the armory, where two moogles have been using it as protection from the rain and any sort of invader. One of them was the travelling moogle Stilztkin. He asked if we can trade gil for items to get him further in his journey. We managed to convince them we weren't attacking them and were there to help out and the three of us pitched in to aid Stiltzkin in his journey. So they allowed us and we scanned the insides if we can switch out any of our weapons for new ones.

My sword's been through a lot after buying it from Dali, and even though it's been great it's bound to get less effective as we go on. So I looked for a better sword. I'm not really an expert in finding the differences between my current swords and the ones they have for their soldiers, but since I'm on a limited timespan I might as well get the ones that don't look too beat up. Vivi managed to find a new staff, the Lightning Staff if I recall correctly, while Quina struggled to see any oversized utensil fit for use.

Once Zidane and Freya scoured the left side of the armory, and with Freya sporting a mighty new spear, we set out for the Palace. We stepped out into the open where the rain started pelting us again. With the Palace looming ahead I couldn't help but get nervous. At the very top where the King would be seated in his throne overlooking his subjects, the invading Queen Brahne would be there her ace, the mighty and seemingly unbeatable General Beatrix. Not only will she be there, Kuja is also there along with the one wild card they have in their sleeves.

MJM. He's there waiting for us. For me, probably.

I shake my head, the gathering water in my hair flying as a new coat began to gather because of the rain. Worrying about him is just going to distract me. And I say that knowing that's he's well in my head already after that attempt he pulled on my life. Just focus on the main story, Alyssa!

But I can't! Beatrix is going to surely kick our ass. I don't have a problem with that because she's that damn good. When we go fight her, all I'll focus on is avoid getting absolutely destroyed, or worse, killed. I can accept being beaten until I can't move for an hour or so. The main thing that my head can't let go of is MJM being in the fight. That'll make the fight shorter than it would be because they have short ranged and long ranged advantages. We'll be sitting ducks there!

In the midst of my mental freak out, we've stopped at the front door of the Palace. Things don't look good here. Everything looks like someone wanted a hasty renovation here to make it look like their beloved Queen Brahne. The statues here have been decimated. The walls are peppered with black marks from the black mages' fire spells. We can see that their magic have chipped large parts of the building off, the debris were being washed down by the rain.

Freya looked distraught to see it looking like this. She'd fallen to her knees, the thoughts running through her head probably were about her failure to protect the king. We all had the same idea of talking to Freya to try and console her.

"Hey, c'mon Freya. It's not over yet." Zidane starting off wonderfully. "We can only hope that your king is alright somewhere."

"Yeah! He could be in Cleyra with the others." Vivi tried.

"No give up yet!" Quina cheered her best.

"Just like what Zidane said, it's possible he's already escaped." I say as I stand beside her. "I heard a quote once. 'The night is darkest before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.' Things might be dark now, but things will get better. One way we can get there is stop Queen Brahne."

She didn't look at us once we were done trying to cheer her up. At least Zidane gave the rest of us a thumbs up for our efforts though. We might've not expected her to perk up with our words, but they didn't expect her to suddenly stand and give us a look that said she had just realized something.

"I can hear someone in the Palace!" Then she used her dragon knight abilities to leap up on the statue and land on top of it. "Get up here!" She hissed before going in.

"She could've at least warned us first before leaving us here," Zidane complained a bit before looking up at the statue, probably to see how he can jump his way to the top. "Guess we should start here. C'mon."

As he was waving Vivi over to the statue's debris, I tried the front door and found myself surprised to hear it creak loudly when I just tapped it. My discovery was punctuated with Vivi landing face first on the statue's feet. "Uh guys, we can try the front door if that's okay." I call over to them.

"Me not jump good. This better." Quina said as she waddled over to where I was, Vivi following in tow after recovering from his fall.

"Alright. We'll meet up there. You guys be careful." Zidane started jumping up the statue as we entered the door.

The entirety of the Palace's first floor was dark save for the dim light coming from the door and the holes in the wall caused by the attack. I know that Beatrix is at the very top with Zidane and Freya just about to face her, it's just that MJM is bound to be here somewhere and I can't allow him to get the jump on us. Either he's waiting in there or is with the general and the queen up above. So with a hand holding the sword's hilt closely, we move to the stairs leading to the top.

The Palace interior is new to me. I'm sure everything in here was lovely and awesome to look at for the first time for someone like me. The suits of dragon knight armor that lay in pieces on the floor, the various big and small paintings they had in the walls ripped apart and burned to pieces, the destroyed décor and furniture, but we have no time to admire everything that lays in ruin right now. Maybe next time if we come back here when everything looks okay.

We move up at least three floors with nothing happening with only the sounds of our feet running on the carpet and the rain hitting the walls outside accompanying us. There's no black mages or soldiers standing guard or patrolling here. Just the remains of what once was a symbol of royalty for this city. They're probably too confident that nobody is stupid enough to come back here, that they've wiped out anyone left in the Palace save for those who've already gotten away, or that the Palace had already fallen and didn't need to guard it anymore.

Just when we were about to clear what seemed like the last floor, a sudden clang catches us off-guard. We all stop and look for the source of the noise. The clang wasn't a one-time thing. It was a series of noises that went farther and farther away from us until it eventually stopped. The only place it came from is the stairs. I take the first step towards the stairs leading down to the floor beneath us. Laying near the final step was a metallic helmet rolling away.

I was about to tell them it was nothing when I notice something move in the shadows to our left. Just away from Quina was standing was a figure pointing a weapon at her. I pull out my sword as quickly as I can and intercept it, swinging it upwards. My sword hits it and then a loud crack filled my ears.

A gunshot.

In the brief light it gave I was able to see MJM, grinning at all of us, standing by a pillar with his rifle now aimed skywards. Vivi had stumbled to a stop and Quina, not expecting the bang the gun gave, had covered her ears and dived for the floor. My ears were ringing and I didn't even know I had hit the deck and covered my head. When everything was quiet my eyes found the source. I glared at the man who had attempted to take my friend's life, as well as mine just minutes ago.

He lets the rifle spin up and under his shoulder to attack my sword, the movement taking me by surprise, but I kick him in the torso by instinct before he could get the rifle aimed at me. I hold my sword with both hands and dash at the maroon-wearing gunman. He lets the gun block my cuts as I get close, spinning it around and deflecting my last attack out of the way to make way for his elbow hitting my face. He didn't get too close when I felt a wave of heat pass by. MJM had backed down for a moment, putting his gun on his back and grinning at the three of us.

So he isn't waiting with the general. Is he planning to divide and conquer? It wouldn't be that bad an idea since it would make it easier for Beatrix since she'd be only stomping two people instead of four. That takes half the time facing a full party.

Even if the fight seems unwinnable to them, there's STILL a chance that they might prevail with a full party. Events have been changed slightly since we came here. I can't have that chance be taken away from them.

"Vivi, Quina, I'll handle this guy. You two get to Zidane and Freya." I tell them as I kept my eyes on MJM.

"B-But!" Vivi stammers. I know what it looks like. I'm fighting on my own against someone with knives up the wazoo and has proven to be precise with a gun. Back in the Grotto, I couldn't even get a hit on him. It doesn't look like I'm going to be on par against him.

"They'll need your help more, little boy." MJM finally spoke up with a condescending smirk on his face.

"Sure you no need help?" Quina asked. I quickly nodded.

"I can take him." I'm not sure if they believed me or not, but they did look at each other first before making their way to the level above us.

Only the sounds of their exiting footsteps filled the room until they started to it faded with distance. The dim light going through the broken Palace windows gave enough light to fight in here. I could see MJM draw two knives and twirl them as he began to pace around the room. I stared at MJM, wondering what he's planning to do, and followed his every movement.

"Nice to see that you're confident enough to take me on alone, girlie." He says as he brandishes his weapons.

"I could say the same to you. Running out of black mages to use?" I retort. He recoils a bit and takes a step back. However, he looks like he's exaggerating.

Then he simply chuckles, the kind that's half sarcastic and half amused. "You make me sound like I'm useless by my lonesome."

"Just who are you anyway?" I went straight to the point. My question hardly affected him.

"Little ol' me? I'm just a guy fighting for the winning side. Well, at least I heard that I'm on the winning side. Though I heard you believe that regarding the side you're on."

He clearly doesn't wanna play ball with me on this one. Either that or he's just messing around until he's had enough, just like how he shot at me earlier. What is his game anyway? "We can either do this the easy way, where you answer my questions, or the hard way, where I make you see that you're on the losing side."

MJM briefly considered what I said silently, stopping the twiddling of his knives. "Hmm…Well if you put it that way I guess I'll have to indulge your curiosity then." Then he broke into a dash towards me, his knives leading the way. I put up my sword and block his weapon, putting the both of us in a brief stalemate. "You'll have to earn my answers first!"

I pushed at him to break away from the clash. His hands were fast, each knife coming at me one after the other with the sole purpose of not letting me have an opportunity to attack. I knew that if I keep blocking like this it'll only be a matter of time until he gets past my defenses. I like getting shot less than getting cut in pieces. The question now is how long he can keep up this pace pf attack, because I sure as hell know mine isn't long.

He tries to bring down one of his knives down on my head. I was barely able to step to the side, but he anticipated this and his other knife came at me from the side. It grazed my sword as I raised it desperately to block against it just in time. My efforts was me with an elbow to my cheek.

Stumbling back, I put up my sword to guard as he casually approached. It's better if I attack first before he starts another barrage of attacks. So I swung my sword at him, using the length advantage my sword had against his knives to keep some distance between us. He leaned away from the sword, but I kept my momentum going by spinning and transitioning to a stab. It was stopped by both of his knives and then struck down so it hit the floor. Not expecting that, the sword clanged against the floor and sent me off-balance. Both his knives came at me quickly. To protect myself from the coming slashes, I dived backwards and landed sloppily, my back hitting the carpeted surface with a dulled thud.

I quickly got back to my feet expecting MJM to follow-up, but he only stood by as I gathered myself with that smug, amused look on his face almost taunting me.

'What a gentleman,' I remarked internally. He "patiently" waited for me to get back up on my feet, distracting himself for a moment by twirling with his own knives. And who said chivalry was dead? Not that I expected it from him, but this guy's been weirding me out since I met him. Whatever. Once I was back up and looking capable to fight once more, he was back on the attack.

When I thought he was going for a high cut like earlier, I swung my sword at his head as a response, but it turned out he was feinting and went low instead for a low sweep. He takes me down to one knee and stopped him from slicing at my head with my new sword. MJM pushed against my sword, slowly inching his knives towards my face. I pushed off the ground to regain my footing and get MJM off of me with a shout.

I continued my charge, being careful to maintain a safe distance between us again and attacking cautiously at his defenses. Even though I have the bigger weapon, he's still able to get past my harder-hitting attacks. Maybe he has experience fighting people bigger weapons. He sure isn't having a hard time proving his point that he's the better fighter by dodging another cut from me and slicing me on my arm.

Trying to get at him for that, he chuckled and weaved left and right away from my attacks and it was starting to make me madder the more he kept doing it. Kinda disheartening when your opponent is mocking you in a vital fight like this. Maybe I need to switch up my method of attack? Not a lot options for swords though.

I backed up after a miss, keeping the sword pointed at his knives. With each step he took towards me I took two steps backward. He caught on immediately and dashed right at me. I met his knife going for another overhead cut, while I could see his other arm getting ready in case I blocked or dodged. Before he could use his other arm, I break away from the first knife with a push and continued it towards the other arm in mid-swing. It met with his upper arm, cutting through the fabrics of his jacket and drew a bit of blood.

MJM backed up and bit and inspected the cut. His smugness didn't even falter. Hell, his smirk got even bigger. Guess he's that kind of guy. Either that or he's just doing this to try and throw me off. Psychos do tend to be intimidating most of the time, but not this time. I'm not gonna be intimidated by this guy.

"Alright, that earns you one answer." MJM suddenly speaks up, but I don't plan on being distracted. I kept my sword pointed at hm. This didn't urge him to charge or take a stance. He just stood there, waiting.

"Just who are you?" The very first question I wanted answered. Gonna need a name to go along with the face. There might've been other questions worth asking, but this is the first one to come to mind.

"The name's Ellison. Rayner Ellison." Okay. I was kinda expecting something foreign for some reason. Dunno why. "Don't worry about introducing yourself. I've already heard about you."

I frowned. Great, when I get an answer it comes along with another question. Though to be fair he probably heard my name during the Festival of the Hunt. But if he didn't get my name there, then where has he heard about me when I don't throw around my name that recklessly?

MJM, or now named Ellison, wagged his knife at me. "One question at a time, girlie!" He then threw one of his primary knives at me. I could've sworn it hit the pillar near me I instinctively dived to the side to avoid it. He was there to meet me, leading with his second knife. It resulted in me trying to bring up my arms to protect my head as I see the knife coming. Two swift cuts opened on my arms to join the first one he gave me followed by a kick that knocked me down.

My sleeves are starting to get bloody and soon I'm gonna have a hard time wielding my sword. I have the stronger weapon, size and weight wise. I need to take advantage of it before my arms start giving me problems.

As he tried to collect his thrown knife, I stumbled after him with a loud cry. He turns and jumps back, getting closer to his other knife. He easily dodged my sword while taking the weapon embedded on the pillar. He spun and used the force to attack. I jumped back, away from the spinning attack, before seeing a chance to get him. I let the first dagger pass above me and then strike at the second before it passes.

The impact against the smaller blade sends it flying, Ellison stumbling a bit. Finally his grin dropped! He probably wasn't expecting the bold approach. Even I'm surprised that worked. Using that time to counterattack, my strikes and slashes seem to get closer to the mark as he backpedals and blocks with half of his dual weaponry. I managed to make a long cut on his leg when he wasn't able to stop an overhead cut with only one knife. In an attempt to break away, three throwing knives came close to hitting me, but didn't when I jumped back. When my eyes snapped up, I didn't expect a dragon knight helmet to meet with my face.

I could've sworn my head snapped back at the hit. I was seeing purple spots in my vision that didn't go away when I shook my head. Those helmets are freaking hard! Not sure if I have a concussion now or not, but that didn't stop Ellison from stabbing me in the left leg, revenge for cutting him earlier. He knocked be down to the ground with a knee to the gut and a swift punch to the face. Crawling away wasn't a viable option when he put a foot on my gut and another against my neck, pinning me to the ground as I struggled to try and reach for my dropped sword.

"Since you got a few good hits in, I'll let you in on a little secret." The maroon gunman said as he took something out of pocket. It was a hi-potion vial. "I'm not really here to kill you. The powers-that-be have 'forbidden' me to do such a thing." I could've sworn he made air quotes as he added pressure on my gut. "Well, it doesn't matter in the long run, for all of us since we're all in the same boat."

"Wh-What's that supposed t-to mean?" Trying to push his boot off was harder than it seems. Guess my arms are starting to give out on me due to the loss of blood.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." He took a drink of his hi-potion before looking down at me. "That's what _HE_ told me anyway."

He was enjoying this, keeping me under his boot. What a sadistic creep! The more I squirmed and hoped to get out from under him, his boot would press harder. Is he just trying to pin me here to keep me here for his own entertainment?

The more things change, the more things stay the same. Does he know that I've been trying to change a few things in the story? Maybe not Ellison, but this other guy he's talking about. This 'HE' he mentioned. Is it Kuja…?

I was snapped out of my thoughts and struggle when a battle cry filled the air. Ellison reacted at the last minute, bracing himself when he was tackled off me. I rolled away from the ensuing melee to get back my sword, but I couldn't help but see my savior.

It was a Burmecian soldier. His uniform was drenched, more so compared to my clothes, and he looked like he had survived a few fights today before this one. At least he's not as cut up as I am. Wait a sec, isn't he the guy Zidane and Freya rescues before General Beatrix can murder him?

"You should get out of here!" He shouts to me, struggling against Ellison. The soldier was wet and slippery in Ellison's grasp, proving good enough with his hands by wrestling him to the ground. And the man with the maroon jacket wasn't a big fan of it. "Hurry before this disgusting murderer escapes my grasp!"

Just when Ellison looked like he was going to overpower the already weakened soldier, I took hold of the knife he put in my leg and tried to pull it out. It was excruciating to the point I might've passed out, but the adrenaline in my system was enough to help me push through it and pull it out. I hobbled over the two men, knife in hand with the intent to stab Ellison, when I barely missed when he kneed the soldier in the groin. He noticed me coming and knocked away my arm before it could get near him before taking hold of it and twisting it a bit to make me drop the knife.

Before he could secure an arm around my neck, I let my injured leg go limp and sent the two of us to the floor. The Burmecian took advantage of this and punted Ellison in the face. I didn't hesitate this time and went over to him, taking his rifle and threw it somewhere across the room before putting him in a choke hold with my entire body on his back and his face almost rubbing against the carpet.

"No, YOU need to get away! Go to the king, get help, whatever!" I told him. Ellison struggled against me, mumbling threats at the soldier as he tried to get a hold of me. With my arms starting to go numb, this hold won't surely last. "Please, he's focused on me! This isn't your fight."

His eyes looked me down and easily spotted my wounds. Yeah, I'm not the perfect picture of strength right now with cuts and blood all over my left leg and arms. I may have been stupid enough to think I can take Ellison by myself, at least let me distract him for the soldier to get to safety. Once he's out of the Palace I can try and get to the others before this creep gets a hold of me. And from the looks of it, from how he's pulling at my hair and desperately trying to shake me off, he doesn't want me to be anywhere but here.

"Fine. Thank you for helping Freya. But before I go…" He gestures for me to pull back from Ellison. I nod and roll off as I hear him grunt. His boot connected with Ellison's head again. It looked like it had done a number on him, but he's still mumbling threats. The soldier helps me up to my feet and I manage to thank him.

"Be careful out there," I tell him before he runs off, hopefully retreating to the sandy treehouse to the west.

I didn't want to waste any more time while I still have some, but I needed to make sure if he even goes after me that he'll have to do it up close and personally. I hobble over to his rifle and put the strap on, the weapon dangling against my back as I go and get my sword.

Even with all the abuse he received from the soldier's boot, the mysterious Alexandrian manages to get on his knees and hands. That's when I decided to act faster. I pick up my weapon and start making my way to the next floor as fast as my injured leg will allow me.

"You think you can get away…? When I get there I'm gonna make sure you won't be walking any time soon." I hear him as I clear half of the stairs. My sword had turned into an impromptu walking stick that kinda helped with the walking. Despite my early lead, I can already hear him coming. Maybe I should've also stabbed him in the leg. That could've helped.

Goddammit, this is bad! I should've at least had someone with me to take him on. If only I wasn't stupid enough to demand answers by myself! I should've known it wouldn't be that easy anyway. The more he talked the more I had questions that needed answers. He's probably the worst person to get answers from anyway. Kuja might have answers, but it's gonna be a while before we confront him directly. I should've thought this through!

Don't think about that now. I can sulk on my failures later. Focus on getting to the others!

My eyes land on the sight of a slightly open door. The noises of rain, fighting, and magic on the other side grew louder the closer I got. I try to dig out a hi-potion from my items to help with the pain. My hobbling towards the door made me miss some of precious healing liquid, but I had to hurry. At least the amount I drank was starting to close some of my wounds. Not all of them, especially for my leg wound, but it helped clear my vision and sluggish movement, aftereffects of the pain and wounds.

But something hit my on the shoulder followed by immense pain spreading around it. The impact made me topple over, the remains of the potion flying away from my hand. The feeling of cold steel made itself known a second later and I confirmed with a glance that a knife was embedded in my shoulder, and looking past that I see Ellison. Gone was the smirk, replaced by a sneer. He groggily walked over with a hand cradling his head. I tried to crawl up to my feet. I need to get away, to reach the others.

"You had some fight in you, girlie. Save for the brief interference back there. But good hustle nonetheless." His voice started to come close with another knife in his hands. "But it's time for this little fight to end."

I desperately pushed myself off my hands and knees and tried to take the rifle off my back. Looking at it reminded me of those old rifles like in World War 1 documentaries I've seen in school, like the ones with small clips and bolt action things. I turn around and aim it at him. He was already halfway across the room and I was just a few feet away from the door. I needed to stop him.

The gun swayed around when I made my first shot. It didn't come close to him, but it made him flinch, the gun almost jumping out of my arms due to the sloppy way I was holding it. That just prompted him to move faster. I staggered backwards as I tried to pull the bolt for another shot. It took a few tries, but eventually I got it right and another bang went off. Second shot was closer, hit the pillar close to him. He then started running. My hands frantically grabbed the bolt as my back felt the door, the blood on my hands and the growing numbness made it hard, but I eventually got it.

The third shot never came. Just as I was about to pull the trigger, Ellison had already closed the gap and pushed the butt of the gun against my ribs. He tried to pull it away from me, which proved harder for him when the strap around my torso prevented it. I kicked at his shin to stop his pulling, only to realize it was ineffective. He cut at me with his knife, barely missing me as I fell back. I may have not gotten cut up, but his true goal was revealed when he pulled on the gun once again and it didn't offer any resistance this time.

Knowing he might shoot me if he points the barrel at me, I will my body towards him so I could grab it. I had to wrap an arm around the rifle so he couldn't easily pull away while smearing blood on his face. He can't shoot me if he can't see me.

But I didn't notice one of his hands adjust their grip on the gun since I was too busy trying to wrestle it away from him. One second it looked like I was gonna do it, gonna take it away from him, disarm him before he can do any more damage with it, but that changed when it went off right beside my ear.

A ringing noise filled my head that didn't seem to want to end. My hands instinctively went to my ears, a useless attempt to block out the sound. It's like my brain was rattled by that gunshot going off so close to my ear. What I should've done was pay attention. The fight wasn't over yet. Well, I'd think that if I didn't feel like I was in so much pain. If that wasn't enough, I felt something hit me in the stomach hard enough to send me off my feet.

In a moment I was in the air, the next I hit and broke through something before finally landing on the ground with water splashing all over me.

"A…lys…sa." I heard a faint cry.

Opening my eyes, I discovered I was outside where the others were fighting the general. Rain dropped all over me from the holes I can see above, spreading the blood from Ellison's cuts further into my clothes. I swear I could've heard someone gasp as I tried to pick myself up from the floor. Every part of me was shouting at me to not move anymore, that if I do anything else would mean the end of me. But I just don't want to lie down, especially after that maroon maniac put me through.

General Beatrix aimed her sights on me, surprised that there's another unwanted guest in her presence. Looking over my shoulder, Ellison leaned on the doorway beside the remains of a broken door. So that's why my back is killing me right now.

Lying defeated in a heap in front of the mighty general were my friends on their backs or face down under the rain. Their weapons were scattered around the area. Over to the side under good cover from the rain I see three people watching delightfully: Queen Brahne, Kuja, and a mysterious third person. I can't help but feel that the third guy was familiar for some reason. Head bent down a bit, long coat, white hair…

"What is this? How many times must I be interrupted today?" Beatrix asked no one in particular. She shook her head as she sheathed her blade. "No matter. If this is the best Burmecia has to offer, then they are a doomed country."

I struggled to get up, the best I could do was stay on my knees, and look at my friends. I was too late. As much as my mind told me this was inevitable, I can't help but think of something that might've helped them. Maybe if I changed things more, the fight would've turned out differently.

"You're wrong." I say, not looking at the victorious woman. "You just caught them off-guard." I could hear someone move. At the edge of my vision I could see Beatrix's boots move towards me. That must've gotten their attention. "Why even surprise them when Alexandria has you? Maybe you don't have enough confidence to straight up fight them. So who's the doomed country then when it's ruled by cowards?"

I've probably gotten hit too many times on the head today or due to the loss of blood affecting my brain, but I suddenly couldn't help but say those things. It definitely struck a chord with Alexandria's best swordswoman.

"Alyssa, what…are you doing?" Zidane's weak voice reached me as if trying to stop me from doing something stupid.

"I must commend you for having the courage to speak your mind in your current state." I felt steel touch my shoulder, a light touch but with enough pressure it starts to cut into the skin and draw blood. "But I'm afraid I must punish you for your slanderous statements."

I turn my head slightly and see Freya's spear just past Beatrix. "Just because you won today doesn't mean it's sealed your fate as the winner. Burmecia will come back, and when they do you'll regret killing their people."

"Enough." The steel was lifted from my shoulder. There was thunder cracking somewhere close.

I know I'll regret this as soon as I do this, but someone has to prove that she's not unbeatable. Of course, that won't be me and that won't happen today. I'll inch my way towards that goal. For now all I have to prove is to survive against Beatrix. Doesn't seem too likely in my current state. If I can try against Ellison and somehow do it, despite the interference on my behalf, then why can't I do it against Beatrix?

I push myself up and headbutt the general before she could strike me down. Her vacant hand went up to her nose and growled as her swing wildly missed. I didn't waste any more time since I was running on borrowed energy through my adrenaline. Since she was caught off-guard, I grabbed her other hand, twisted and threw her down to the ground over my shoulder.

My feet carried me to Freya's spear. I nearly fall over myself when picking it up. It just so happens that the moment I had it in my hands was when the general charged and slashed. My remaining strength was barely enough to block her attack. She struck at one end of the spear and sent me spinning with just her power. I tried to use it to attack back, but my expertise with a spear was basically nonexistent and that I was weak enough a direct open-hand slap might knock me out, so my sloppy attack was easily dodged.

Her sword came from a low angle and nearly swatted away the spear. By pure luck, the blunt end of the spear hit her on the arm. It must've infuriated her because her next attack sent me flying despite me putting the spear up to block. I landed some feet away from her and the spear, hurting even more before this fight started. She walked over as I forced my body to get up one more time.

_This is futile. Why do I even bother getting up?_

Because I can! Not that I need to. She thinks she's already won. If I fight hard enough then I can change the outcome!

Beatrix was close. Her sword was already about to come down on me. With nothing to use as a weapon, I simply put up my arms knowing it would be better than meeting the blade with my face. So I closed my eyes and waited for whatever crippling blow she'll hit me with.

Her sword made contact, the distinctive clang of steel against a solid surface. But it wasn't against my arms.

"What is this!?"

A purple light met my eyes when I opened them. It took a while for them to focus, and when it did this strange light came from…whatever was between me and Beatrix's sword. It was like a wall or something. A barrier? The shock on the general's face was probably just a fraction of the one I have on my face. But with her surprise it came with frustration as she pushed against the purple barrier.

I look down and see the pendant that was given to me back in Lindblum. Hanging around my neck, a reward for doing a good deed, now glowing. The light it gave off was similar to the barrier. Is this the source? I then saw Queen Brahne looking shocked as well, Kuja hid it very well if he was too. Ellison's grin was back. The strangest reaction I saw was from that third person with the queen. He was nodding.

As helpful as the purple wall was, it didn't hold and eventually vanished after Beatrix's sword blasted it with lightning. It cracked and shattered like glass. Alexandria's mightiest soldier was there with the finishing blow, a heavy slash on my chest. Instantaneously, my body screamed at me in agony, only a groan left my mouth as I fell to the cold, hard ground.

"Pitiful…" was all I heard from her.

Voices started filling the air. The cold, yet dutiful Beatrix responded to her queen's confident claims of victory before they went off to prepare an invasion of Cleyra. As I lay there, blood starting to gather from my latest injury, no longer able to resist the extreme exhaustion and pain my body has been put through, I could feel my consciousness slipping. Then two pairs of feet came into view. A very familiar pair that had already met my neck and stomach earlier followed by a new pair I've yet to see.

"Told you I should've killed her," I heard Ellison speak. Did they know that I'm still awake? Honestly, I couldn't tell myself. Everything was starting blur like I was waking up from a dream.

"Nonsense. Her presence is only a mere distraction. The real problem is still out there. I do, however, applaud your ability to hold back." There was hint of sarcasm in this calm, chastising voice talking to him.

"So this is the so-called visitor you have spoken about." Smooth, conniving, almost feminine tone. Must be Kuja.

"Half of them. Don't worry. Your plan will still unfold despite their appearance here." The mystery man assured him.

Kuja hummed. "Very well. I will take you on your word. I must make preparations for the next phase of Brahne's attack."

"I'll be around if you need me." Ellison sounded like he saluted Kuja as he left. The gunman's unnamed cohort moved away, and I dunno if this is my head playing tricks on me, but it looked like he vanished. Is he like one of those guys who can appear from out of thin air like in those magic or fantasy shows?

The sounds of wings flapping broke my train of thought, the power of each flap almost moving my limp body. A screech echoed throughout the air briefly, the wings starting to fade through the rain. I see Ellison kneel down in front of when he ran out of people to talk to.

"Looking forward to what you bring to the table, girlie." He pats my head, chuckling to himself as he walks away. His fading voice was the last thing I could hear when my eyes fell.


	28. Murder, He Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Lindblum before they separated, Blake is given another choice.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 27: Murder, He Thought

\- Blake -

_(Before The Fated Lunch)_

After all that had happened in the Festival, I felt banged up and exhausted that all my body would like to do was rest. And rest it did. Poison takes a whole lot of effort of flushing out even when you're offered three antidotes for free. That's what Dr. Thomas explained once we were alone. I spent a good ten minutes throwing up after Alyssa left. Probably karma for being a big pain for that girl, even though she's been a bigger pain for me.

At least this isn't as painful as the Black Waltz 3 encounter. That was physical and involved bones. Sure this one was painful physically too, but it felt like my insides were tearing itself out. Note to self: wear more protective clothing/armor when handling weapons laced with poison.

God, this is probably the most trips to the doctor I've had since fifth grade. That year was full of disasters.

I don't know how long I've been sleeping on this bed since there's no clock in this room, which I found strange since some people would like to know the time once they wake up. Though I could just ask Dr. Thomas for the time.

"Dr. Thomas..?" My voice sounded like it had a hard night yesterday after a long session of karaoke. Must be from all the puking. I cleared my throat, waking up Nero in the process, and tried again. Again, no response. Good thing anyone else injured had the energy to leave to recuperate in their own houses or take part in the festivities in town.

Hmmm... That's strange. He should be in his office.

"Your doctor has stepped out momentarily."

I nearly jumped when I heard that voice. I've only heard it a few times, but whenever I hear it only bad news can come of it.

"Not expecting to see me so soon, my child?" From the corner of my eye, I could see Meguro sitting on a chair right beside my bed. Her ragged cloak was kept to the side apparently to avoid messing it up even further despite its current appearance. She was holding something in her hands, but was partially hidden by her cloak. It was probably not my business to ask so I ignored it.

"What do you want?" I said, not even bothering to turn to her. She's already gotten the jump on me, as usual. I'm not going to entertain her further.

"Just visiting. I want to see how you are after that hectic fight you were in." She said that like she's admiring something off a shelf.

"Can we just cut to the chase?" I cut her off. "Whatever it is you're going to say I'm sure my well-being is going to take a serious blow. Evidence: everything that happened an hour ago."

Meguro shook her head, that smile of hers still in place. That expression of hers really irked me at the moment. Like she's always glad and jolly whenever she talks to me as if she knows that this is some sort of a joke. If she wants to tell me a joke, she can tell it to the stitches I had put on my left hand. Sure it's not there anymore because of the potions effects, but I can feel it there and it would sure as hell feel a whole lot better if she apologized to it.

" _I_ did not want you to fight." She corrected me. "That was your decision to begin with. You chose to fight in order for you to obtain passage home."

My frown deepened. Don't even remind me of that. Still, it was her fault. I thought this would be my chance to finally end this and have things back to normal. It was go big or never go home and I chose, stupidly, the riskier of the two. But at least I had hope that I would be able to return home, even if it was just a glimmer. I got as many points I could manage and even then it wasn't enough.

Maybe that's the world's way of saying that I'm not yet prepared. You know how mysterious other dimension worlds are. They sense that there's another force on them, they try to keep them there for as long as possible until they fuck up and die so that they can return to their regularly scheduled status quo. Which I almost did!

Of course, I have no way of proving this to anyone but myself.

Either way, the longer that Alyssa and I are still here, the worse things will eventually go for us. We can potentially mess things up for everything. Worst case scenario, everyone dies. Best case scenario… Everyone's happy, I guess? But not me, not until I am back home with my PSP in hand and my mp3 in full blast in my ears.

What do you expect? When you're lying on a bed in the infirmary you really can't avoid thinking about bad things, especially thoughts that involve one's self. Okay, we might beat the game up to the very end. That's not so bad. At least I'll learn how we get there to the end.

"So what do you want?" I asked again, this time making it obvious that I don't like talking to her.

"A gift and a thought," She said. That doesn't sound ominous at all. "It all comes down to how you interpret it, my child."

"Stop calling me that!"

She ignored my protest as she uncovered the thing she was holding under her coat. It looked like a piece of armor, something that's worn on the forearm. It had a silvery color with hints of yellow at the edges. It had some strange indentations at the backhand portion, but it may have been some dents and scratches from battles its old user had taken part in. There's also this strange symbol at the middle of it all. Is it an insignia of the previous owner's hometown?

"As a token of good faith, I wanted to give this to you." Meguro said as she laid the armor beside me. "Its original owner had fought for a great cause. His journey was long and arduous, but even through every hardship he faced; he braved through each of them and conquered them. I hope that you have the same success as the one before you if you choose to accept this gift."

I touch it while giving Meguro a cautious look. I had to tap on it with a finger, scooting backwards in my pillow and headrest just in case. I have no idea what she has in mind with this thing. For all I know, it could possibly be a soul container that takes the soul of the wearer or makes them susceptible for mind control or gives them mad drug-induced hallucinations.

What? It doesn't hurt to be paranoid with items you receive from enigmatic individuals.

"Are you serious? Good faith?" That phrase immediately struck me as a red flag. No one gives anyone anything unless it is for a special occasion or if they want something in return.

She sighed. "It should be the other way around actually, but I think you are still unwilling to fully trust me when you went ahead and told your friend about me."

So she did hear the whole thing. I shouldn't be surprised really since I saw her there. But how is my informing Alyssa of something that should involve her as well being taken as being unwilling to trust her. Besides, I have a lot of other reasons to distrust Meguro.

"Truthfully," The cloaked woman's gaze was fixed on the object in her hands as she spoke again, "it would have been inevitable for her to know. I do, however, wish that you would have been patient instead of going ahead and telling her."

"She deserved to know why I was crazy enough to be in the Festival. Her not knowing would mean her hounding me for answers throughout the whole thing. Besides, it's not like you were going to tell her anything or even talk to her."

And my response was met with a quiet laugh. Did I say something funny? "You would be surprised..."

"Whatever." She can stay vague as she wants. As long as she doesn't leave me in the dark about anything I'd be fine with it. "So what's the catch?" I ask, still not convinced that she's giving this thing for free, while Nero pecked at it. It always never ends well with free stuff.

She only shakes her head and points to the armguard. "No catch. However, you may want to listen to what I have to say next." As if listening to her has brought me anything worthwhile.

Still waiting for the catch, I put the armguard on the small bedside table, right beside my item satchel and the dagger she gave me before now covered in cloth, so I can listen to what she has to say. Whatever it is, I am not going to like it.

"Whether it may have been through legal or illegal means, seeing your full efforts continues to impress me." Again, not really important since she's not the one I need impressing. "Your failure to win is not a negative, but you can view this as a learning experience. It may not be impossible to succeed on your first try, but you gave it your best shot. However, this made me think over our options."

"Hold on a second," I interrupt her, holding up my hand. "What do you mean by ' _our options_ '?"

"The world is changing, my child. War, death, and danger follow closely behind you and your friends. I only aim to help, but this is your fight. However, I tried to give you a chance to make your exit and your efforts almost granted you your escape, which was not enough."

"Thanks for reminding me of my failures," I mumbled to myself.

"But you may have another opportunity to prove to the world itself that you can make things right."

I frowned at her mention of 'the world' once again. "How does competing in the Festival prove that I can do that?"

"That was to prove your abilities. Unfortunately, the crystal had asked too much from you, despite with how you tried to prove it wrong."

My eyes stare at the ceiling in an attempt to let her continue. Arguing specifics with her was as fun as pulling nails off the wall with your bare hands. When my silence, or lack of comeback or bringing up another question, didn't stop her anymore, Meguro continued.

"War is an event none would enjoy taking part it. It would only end in bloodshed and death, a sight that even I would turn away. While your friends are traveling right now to Burmecia and 'fighting the good fight', as one would say, you now have an opportunity to help stop the world from being a stage of this cruel exchange between nations."

As if I can single-handedly turn the tables on a power-hungry queen and stop her black mage army and General Beatrix's soldiers. This has got to be an elaborate plan if she's planning on getting involved in a one-sided war. Besides, everything is going to be alright. Sure there will a lot of dead people by the end of it, and I'm sure it wouldn't be a happy ending in the long run, at least the "war" will run its course and be over before you know it. You'll just need to know where to be to avoid the full brunt of it.

"So what do you have in mind? Are you going to send me on a quest—wait, let me correct that— Would the world or the crystal want me to gather the full set of armor that armguard belongs to and bring down the 'mean and mighty' kingdom of Alexandria?" I pointed to said piece of armor to my right, further mocking her constant reference to the mighty 'crystal'. Meguro only shook her head.

"No, that would be a totally convoluted quest. Giving that to you is only my attempt of matching your accessories." She chuckled. If she wanted to match my splint, I would have rather she gave me something in leather. "But that is still a good guess."

Then I mimed a watch on my wrist. "Well what is it then? I have a lunch date in a few minutes and the guests of honor are about to leave."

She stands from her seat, a small smile gracing her lips as she goes on to talk and walk around the bed. "That brings me to my point. Perhaps the castle's guest of honor will have a lot to contribute in the war effort, even though they do not know it yet. Unfortunate because she seem like a nice girl, which is made worse when she has a terrible mother. If only there was a way to change her fate…" She had already reached the small bedside table to my right, her fingers touching the dagger properly wrapped to protect anyone stupid enough to pick it up.

Her usage of that last phrase made me look at her with caution. The first thing to pop into my mind was that seemed deliberate. I might be grasping at straws since that phrase has been haunting me since that day we traveled to Dali with no clue as to where the transforming ticket got the phrase on it, desperate to find the source with the hope of someone explaining it to me. Having her admit she knows about it was going to be trouble since she has already denied knowing about it in the past.

Then my brain goes over what she's been saying. War is hell, and for this type of place it would be worse with all the alternate methods they can use to strike down their enemies. Alexandria has their secret black mage army and further proves to me that the queen is willing to win through any means as long as she stands on top. Anything she can have in her disposal will be used if her partnership with Kuja means anything.

And now we go to her daughter. Sweet, crafty Princess Garnet now going by Dagger. Queen Brahne eventually gets a hold of her daughter and takes away her powers so she can manipulate them and use them to her will, further adding more firepower to her already unmatched weapons. You really can't fight Eidolons with conventional weaponry unless you have an army of skilled warriors capable of going in and out of Trance in a snap of a finger.

Then the question becomes what of Dagger's fate does she need changing. Dagger being used by her mother? Dagger traveling back to her home? Her thinking about how she can stop her mother from becoming the monster in this sorry state of affairs?

Obviously, the main reason is to stop the Eidolons from being used by the queen. Without it, she and her forces can be more manageable to beat through conventional means. But how does she know that anyway?

My eyes look up to Meguro, wondering what she meant by her whole spiel just now. She is too caught up in her inspection of the dagger to notice me looking at her. If she wants that back she can have it. I don't know why she didn't inform me of its properties when she gave it to me to kill the Zaghnol. Hell, it even nearly killed me—

And then it hits me.

I freeze at the thought. It was as if the air in the room suddenly became frigid, my nose suddenly becoming incapable of grabbing air for my lungs right after it had knocked out the remaining supply I had. Nero's chirps sounded like it had echoed off the Grand Canyon due to the silence around us.

Did…did she just tell me to kill someone?

The mysterious woman doesn't even look at me when she speaks again. "I can sense your hesitation—"

"Are you insane!?" Nevermind about lowering my voice in case some random guard or Dr. Thomas bursts through the door to see what was happening. This woman was telling me to kill a member of the Alexandrian royal family. "I can't do that!"

"Please let me explain," she says calmly. A bit too calmly if you ask me.

"Oh, lady I would love to hear what sort of explanation you have in mind." I could only say as I crossed my arms.

"Your friend's power will be mishandled, used for evil purposes as they continue their push to dominate the continent. All would fall if she gets her hands on her daughter's power, just one summon to cause an entire nation to fall on its knees. You know this already, my child."

She's right though. The events of the game follow one instance of destruction to another, from letting her black mage army do as much chaos once they arrive in their target location until she's had her fun. But it's strange though. Meguro seems to know the important bits of the game's plot.

"You sure know a whole lot about what might happen." I made my thoughts clear as she puts her hands behind her.

"The world is full of possibilities."

"Not when you know exactly what happens in the next few days and wants to change it."

The enigmatic woman chuckles as if I had said something funny. "We all have our secrets to keep." If that's her attempt to be vague again, at least that tells me she's keeping something from me. That's one more point towards the 'Don't Trust Meguro' scoreboard. "But you miss my point. The world would surely appreciate it if this…chaos Queen Brahne is spreading is cut short before it happens."

Again with this talk of change. It seems like I cannot escape this topic of conversation even when Alyssa isn't around.

I get her point about how stopping Queen Brahne would be great for the entire continent and the world, but this would erase any of my prior knowledge of the future events because we stop her short. What moves would she do if her beloved summons, the ones she would extract from Dagger, weren't in her possession? Would Kuja supply her with even deadlier weapons so she can continue her campaign or would her usefulness in Kuja's plans suddenly go away?

But all those possibilities don't matter because I would never want to jeopardize any advantage I have on this world! And might I point out that she wants me to KILL Dagger for the greater good! I just can't take a knife and stab someone in the back, especially someone I've been traveling the continent with for almost two weeks.

Yet….if I happen to do this, the crystal would finally consider me worthy…

Bah, this crystal talk still sounds like insane suggestions to me! She wants me to do two things I would never consider doing in my entire life if I wasn't here. Murder and going out of my way to prove something. I've never had the desire to do both before, so why should I start now? Well okay, the festival counts for the latter, but that was out of desperation!

There has to be another way. Meguro was looking at me, trying to urge me into telling her any other ideas I had in mind.

"We can just kidnap her! Get her out of the way or put her somewhere she can't interfere or something until we find a way to get rid of Brahne."

Meguro cocks an eyebrow at my suggestion. But that's no good either. Not because I can't do it. If I even try this with Steiner around, I'd be good as dead. Telling them about this will also prompt fate to steer us away from a future I'm not familiar with. One thing could lead to another and I would be as lost as someone going through a blind playthrough of the game! If I want to survive I have to keep things as is…

"That is a good suggestion, but let's be honest. Why turn away from what is easier? Besides you already have experience in murder."

I sigh angrily. "That wasn't murder! It's more karmic intervention than an intentional crime!" Why can't people just let it go and accept that it didn't happen? If someone shows me her body then I'll admit I committed murder.

"What's relevant is that this may be your last chance to get back home safely. You take away Princess Garnet, you take away the most destructive weapon of Queen Brahne's arsenal." Meguro added matter-of-factly.

I closed my hand as tight as I could, despite my tired state, in an attempt to calm down. This is a horrible decision. I don't like any of it one bit.

Meguro steps away from my bedside table, the doorway leading to the exit looking more interesting than anything else in the room. "You don't have to choose now. This time you need not look for me." Meguro told me as she starts walking away. "Either the princess reaches Alexandria or not, that will be your choice to make and the crystal will know what choice you have decided on."

I could only watch her walk away as she decided that it was time to leave, nothing in my head wanted anything else from her but to leave. At least she gave me the common courtesy of ending the conversation, though I wish it was in better circumstances that would make me look forward to our next meeting.

As usual, she leaves me trying to sort out what had just happened. Can I have quiet moments to myself that doesn't require me to think deeper than a ravine about the ever increasing problems in life? I sigh, wanting to sink deeper into the mattress with my head starting to ache with all these complications. I would just lie here and stare at the ceiling if I could, but as fate would dictate it, my responsibility to my last conversation with Alyssa is still something I have to do. I have to follow the princess with her journey back home.

To think I would just act as their third party observer who wouldn't look forward stepping into Alexandrian territory after a few days of travelling. Now there's this particular thought hanging over my head like a black cloud. And just like her previous suggestion, I can't help but wonder if this can actually result in bringing me back to the real world. So far Meguro has given me no proof that it can happen, only telling me to trust her and 'the crystal'. She could have given me a glimpse of my way back to just give me an incentive.

What a pain. If only things can be so simple…

No use internally whining about it now when I can do it on the way to the South Gate. I have to get to where the others are eating while Dagger is busy knocking them out before she leaves without me.

I swing my feet over to the bed's edge and gather the items on the bedside table. Getting the poison dagger wrapped around my leg with just one hand was as annoying as the first time I did it earlier. Good thing it took less time for this attempt. Then I take my satchel, make sure there were still some decent potions and hi-potions in them, which in turn made me check my remaining supply of sleeping potions in my pockets. I might keep those secluded in case I need it. I get the arm sling from the bag and wear it, not so I can secure my injured arm, but to give Nero a place to stay in during the trip. Little guy's getting bigger every passing day that I might consider letting him walk soon.

Then my eyes settle on the armguard Meguro left. I considered leaving it behind just to spite Meguro, but I'm pretty sure someone like her will have a way to get this back to me whether I want to or not. Plus, additional armor isn't too bad. So I take it and try to strap it on my left arm, which was harder to do with an arm I don't like to move around.

It wasn't that intrusive as it is really secure on my arm. After tapping it with my splint as gently as I could, it clanged softly against it, feeling the steel against my previously cut up arm. It was somewhat comforting in a way to feel the cold metal against it, protecting it.

With my preparations complete, I slip my shoes back on and start walking for the door, only to end up stumbling in my first steps. Not a very graceful start, but that's what happens when you get operated on.

"What is the commotion all about?" I hear Dr. Thomas from the hallway. "This is the medical wing, not the backyard of amateur athletes—Blake!" He hurried to my side, suddenly surprised to see me up and about. "Why are you up? As your temporary doctor, I want you off your feet and on a bed right now!"

"Sorry, doc, but I have a lunch date and I'm afraid I'm already running late." I tell him as I tried to walk to the door. He was looking me up and down after I said this, something in his eyes told me he's thinking about sending me back to my bed. Of course he would care, he has treated me twice already, yet I don't really have time to argue about this.

But then he straightens himself and takes his glasses off. "It seems that any advice I would insist right now would only fall on deaf ears. I could only hope that letting you leave would not result in another serious injury."

I tap the armor I still had on my chest. "Don't worry, doc. Just going for a walk and meeting up with a friend."

"I doubt that is actually the case, but what do I know?" he chuckles as he puts his glasses back on, gracing me with this knowing look on his face. "But if you find yourself hurt, do not hesitate in coming back."

"Thanks for all you've done, Dr. Thomas." I say to him as I walk towards the exit once I'm done. "If I do break something, I'll be sure to come look for you."

He only shook his head at my attempt at a joke. "Please stay safe. I don't want to note down 'time of death' beside your name if you do."

"I'll try." Trying to breathe in a big lungful of air, I prepared myself for the short, but I predict would be a painful stumble-fest, walk to the impromptu dining hall. Nero seemed to be perfectly fine bumping into my leg a lot more than usual.

\- OLaF -

And so I ran up to the elevator and ride it to the top floor where everyone was having their private lunch. The guards simply let me go through since they thought I was simply late. About a minute later, I had arrived just in time for Steiner and Dagger to make their exit from the dining hall. You should have seen the looks on their faces when they saw me wheezing up a storm at the staircase. I would be laughing if it weren't for the antidotes in my system.

They clearly did not expect to see me there, especially when Dagger had thought she had gotten away scot free from her very own crime scene. Steiner was just like Dr. Thomas, repeating his words almost verbatim but just a little louder than the doctor's gentle and chummy tone.

"So will anyone tell me why you two are going out together on this lovely midday occasion?" I ask the both of them, my question punctuated by a kweh from my little pet.

Steiner's face changed from confused to nervous, his fingers tapping on each other, trying to think of an excuse that didn't immediately out them. Dagger, on the other hand, was less nervous as she is probably formulating a reasonable explanation.

"We're departing for Alexandria," Dagger answered. I guess she's not bothering with a fake explanation.

"How about the others? Do they know?" I continued to ask just as Dagger was about to descend the stairs in quite a hurry.

She shook her head, not even bothering to stop. "They're...preoccupied right now." Ah, she's going the 'partly-honest' route.

"Are you trying to stop us?" Steiner stepped in between us with that usual knightly glare he's been known to aim at Zidane. "This whole elaborate kidnapping scheme has gone on too far, but has succeeded nonetheless due to the efforts of that sneaky thief. Now that the Regent's affairs have been settled, we are now traveling back home."

"No, not this time." I say to him. "I'm actually planning on joining you. That is if you don't mind."

That definitely surprised them probably because they didn't expect me to go anywhere soon. I mean, who would go on a long trek to another kingdom after nearly being poisoned to death? No one in their right mind would. I normally wouldn't, but this isn't really the time to just laze around. Someone has to keep an eye on this side of the plot.

Dagger gave me a look. "Why would you want to leave your hometown after being back for only a short time?"

I shrugged, throwing the castle walls an annoyed stare. "Lindblum doesn't really feel like home at the moment." Like it ever was. "Besides, traveling salesman business."

After exchanging a silent stare with each other, one that would have made me think they were telepathically talking about their decision, they agreed to let me follow them to Alexandria after I specified about a certain 'business venture' I was not able to finish in their kingdom. I've mentioned it already back then, but I never said it was finished. I was 'mugged' and unable to make the sale. Now I'm trying to get back and actually 'finish meeting with my client'. I expected Steiner to shoot me his best wary glare, but seeing Dagger eye me cautiously is a clear surprise.

Perhaps I should expect this if I were in her shoes. Here I come just moments after she causes everyone in that private lunch an impromptu nap. She's probably thinking I only got hurt so I could avoid getting tricked like that, but that's just me. I tend to be paranoid. She didn't say anything about it as she started walking.

As we made our way to the elevator that would lead us to the gate, I couldn't help but look at Dagger from the corner of my eye. That girl is going through a lot right now, wondering if her mother is becoming a power-hungry monster. There's also her holding out hope that the damage the queen makes in the world wouldn't be so big to cause a war. Not only do things get worse for her, but her fate is tied to any possibility of me getting back home.

I try to hold down an annoyed grunt in my throat as the thought surfaces. No, I am not killing her. No way in hell am I going to harm this girl. Murder is for crazy, unhinged psychopaths. I am perfectly sane and should not consider the thought of killing another human being.

We had reached the elevator and were starting to go down. Steiner started talking to fill the awkward air between the three of us, considering their route on getting to Alexandria since border patrols exist. The noise of Nero kwehing and my doting parent reaction in getting a pickle for him to eat made Dagger stare at me while the captain to complain for airing out the harsh, sour smell of the Gysahl Pickle in a small space. Dagger then suggested a brief detour, stopping the elevator at the Middle Levels.

"I had been exploring the castle in days I had not been talking with Uncle Cid or Uncle Artania. I discovered they keep a storage room for various airship machinery in the Middle Levels. There is a loose patrol route around it and we may be able to sneak in and get something we can use for our travels." She explained in a hushed, yet clear tone as she led the way to it. I can sure say that the princess is prepared for this.

We pass a guard, sharing a brief greeting with each other, before picking up the pace towards one large door. Once said guard had turned the corner, Dagger pulled open the door and went inside, promptly assigning Steiner and I as the lookouts. She did not take long as she came out with some neatly folded sacks and a jar containing nearly two dozen of Gysahl Pickles, which Nero immediately started chirping for the moment he saw it.

"Why in the world would a jar of pickles be in there?" I ask as we rush back to the elevator before the guard comes back.

"I had bought some when I went out of the castle a few days ago." Dagger briefly answered, causing Steiner to express his surprise by shouting. "Not now, Steiner!" She really is very prepared for this, but not as prepared as I was in the Festival. The sacks are handed to me to deposit in my satchel. It had enough space for it, but not for the pickle jar. I would be holding on to it since I would not be fighting. Well, according to Dagger I would not be drawing any weapon ever due to my condition.

The elevator ride down to the Base Level was short, almost as short as the wagon ride to the Dragon Gate. No one else was in here. Even the merchant selling items here when Zidane the others is not yet here. Good because I didn't want to have anyone ask where I was going with all these pickles. Only that single open gate standing before us is stopping us from stepping through that Mist-filled field. Past that are the monsters that will offer resistance in our way to South Gate.

My gaze lands on the princess leading us and then to her steadfast knight right beside her. Both of them holding their weapons respectively. I could not feel but stand out in a third wheel kind despite the armor I have on. Inevitable since Steiner has his sword fighting skills and Dagger has white magic and packs a mean wallop with that rod while I only have one arm and that one is used to carry a jar of pickles that will be used for Dagger's idea later on.

So I let them stand in front of me, as if I was the one they were protecting, and move out.

Our first steps out into the open was greeted with a cold breeze coming from the shore to our left and a slight feeling of dread from the Mist around us. I look around us, keeping an eye for any monster lurking nearby in case Steiner and Dagger have not yet spotted them. Both of my arms are pressed as close to me as possible in case I need to move fast with Nero getting close on the jar I was holding beside him. He is definitely liking the proximity to his favorite snack.

Ten minutes pass without any encounters and we pick up our pace. It's good to keep this up as far as possible. Who knows how long those sleeping weeds can keep a person knocked out? Dagger definitely would not like to find out, especially with how she's rushing south. But we kept pace with her.

Her focus must be fully directed in reaching the South Gate because she's barely looked over her shoulder. With Steiner right on her flank, perhaps she trusts me with notifying them if an unseen enemy comes close. Yet that is the same trust that causes her to be used by her mother later on. But is that enough to even justify putting a dagger in her back?

Nero's 'kweh' makes me look down, meeting the little bird's big eyes with mine, as if asking what I want to do

"What do you want me to do? Just go for it?" I hissed at the little chick. "It's easy to say, but hard to commit to!"

I lifted up my sling so I was looking at him closer, the black feathered chocobo staring with its beady little eyes into my panicked ones.

My voice lowers so I could argue with Nero in private. "Even if the consequences don't matter there's still the psychological trauma. No one goes through their first time coming out smelling like a rose. That's long term damage, meaning years of swimming in an ocean of what-ifs and regret while sitting in a therapist's chair. And don't forget expensive! God knows where my parents will be able to get the money. Not that they'll care or anyth—"

My mouth closed when I narrowed my eyes on the chocobo.

"What am I doing arguing with you? You barely understand English." I sighed to myself as I lowered the sling. My other hand would be on my face right now, but face-jaring was sufficient enough to replace face-palming. "It's official. I'm losing my mind."

"Monsters approaching from the left. Three of them." Steiner called out, facing said direction with his sword at the ready. Three things slithered toward us, only rising when it had us clear in view. Three Serpents, easy fodder for a party of three filled with damage dealers. If only that was our kind of party. Still, the captain of the Pluto Knights stood firm with his princess right behind him.

Enemies who relied more on smarts rather than instinct would have easily taken him down. Unfortunately for the Serpents, they weren't that smart. Steiner contended with the two at first while the last one eyed the chocobo resting in my sling. I had backed off and put more distance between me and the fight as advised by Dagger when she intercepted the monster with her rod. It was enough to change its focus from me to her.

The first two were easily dispatched by the captain. Five slices from his sword on both of them and he was quickly by Dagger's side. Truly his skill earned him his rank. The princess evaded the Serpent as much as she can, hitting it on the head once or twice, but that wasn't enough to kill. Steiner had cut through it before it could attempt in biting Dagger. He sheathed his weapon while Dagger got her bearings back. I rejoined them, thankfully with no glare from the knight, before we continued walking.

\- OLaF -

Majority of the day was spent walking and fighting through any monster dumb enough it can take on our one-man wrecking machine. We would get lucky for some long stretches of time and sometimes we would encounter three different groups in the next two minutes. Steiner handled them all expertly with Dagger getting in a few good hits that sent a few Serpents or Ladybug Knights stumbling. I'd even managed to kick back at a Mu who missed its opportunity to tackle me.

Of course our luck wouldn't usually last. Steiner or Dagger would get hurt in some of the fights, but it most of it was taken care of with the princess' white magic. I got through most of them scot-free, only a few hard rocks thrown on my back from a few Mus. Just a few bruises, nothing serious.

Night has fallen upon us and we all agreed that we've crossed the gap to the South Gate close enough for us to rest. We had set-up the tent near some woodlands so we may be able to gather a source for our fire. Since Vivi is in a different party, we had to use the old-fashioned way to make a fire. Dagger was more prepared than I thought. The sacks we took had a flint and steel, provided by the princess' previously mentioned town visit.

With a tent up and a fire lighting up our little area, two of us were preparing for rest while the last one had to stay up as lookout. I opted to volunteer for the first watch. I have yet to contribute anything useful to this trio of ours so this should set things in the right direction. The Mist blanketed the area quite nicely, but not so much as to render us blind to our surroundings, just enough to give us cover from any monsters who can't see that far.

Dagger had taken the tent and is currently sleeping until I have to wake her to take my place. Steiner and I were sitting across from each other, the burning fire between us gave me enough light to see that he's already asleep and silently snoring with his back straight and hand on his sword hilt. How he is able to do that, I have no idea. Nero was right beside me, nestled on top of the pickle jar with his head low. It did not want to be away from his precious pickles even though it is not his.

It was a quiet night with the stars above us proving to be a sight to see. However, my eyes weren't looking straight up. It was directed straight ahead of me, past the resting knight, the tent stood and contained the princess of Alexandria. In this quiet time and open stretch of land, slightly covered by small trees and logs, we were vulnerable to monsters prowling in the dark if we had no lookouts. My thoughts weren't focused on those monsters. I was thinking about the girl in the tent and the ways fate wanted her out of the picture.

My eyes went down to gaze on the steel blade of my dagger, glistening slightly against the light of the fire in front of me. Both of them were asleep, a clear opportunity for a killer with a motive. But I'm not that. I don't have a motive, don't need one. Just thinking about this is starting to make me sick.

Kill Dagger and go home or let the game's story continue as it is and stay here in this world for god knows how long.

Killing her isn't the only option though. All I was told is that it would still count as long as she doesn't reach Alexandria. I could simply take down the tent with her in it, tie it up, and drag her to the nearest cave so she can stay there until everything alms down. Now for how long the waiting after that is uncertain, but I do know that it's not all too simple with Steiner over here. One wrong step on the grass or a single yelp would surely wake him up and bring his wrath down on me. I know for a fact that he only needs one reason to take me down where I stand, and I don't intend on giving him that reason that would end disastrously for me.

There's a possibility of deceiving them into a false detour that would take our journey far longer than it should. But they already have a clear destination at the moment: South Gate. After that is the serendipitous meeting with another bandit that would steer her towards home. I have a little window to convince them of a different way. This turns the question of where would I bring them. I could act lost once we're far enough from Alexandria, though I have the sneaking suspicion that it would not be very convincing.

Then that brings me back to murder. I never thought I would think of murder as a positive idea with advantages.

I stand from my spot and pace around silently. There has to be another way I can approach this that ends with a good outcome for both parties. I will not leave this world in shambles because of a selfish decision that will change the events of Gaia's history.

"Is something the matter?" My head snaps to the tent where the voice came from. Standing there by its opening, Dagger asked in a quiet voice. "And why do you have your weapon out?"

I looked at my hand and noticed she is right. Hurriedly, I place the dagger back in its sheath before clearing my throat. "I was just being paranoid about the monsters. That's all."

She fully steps out of the tent and approaches the still burning bonfire to warm up her hands. Her back looked appealing at the moment. I had to stop my hand from creeping back to my weapon's hilt, trying to avoid the temptation.

"Clearly something is. I could hear your quiet ramblings from inside the tent." The look of concern she flashed over her shoulder made me hesitate. I really need to work on that and stop vocalizing my inner ranting outbursts.

"Still not yet a hundred percent," I confessed as I raised my left hand, the stitches were gone now because of the potion I was given. Though I think I never will be a hundred percent at this rate.

"Perhaps going with us is not a good idea in your current condition. Even the greatest soldiers in the battlefield have to rest." Her tone was still soft to avoid waking Steiner as she walks back near me and the tent.

"If only I was one of those then I wouldn't have a useless arm." That would surely improve my chances in surviving.

"What I do mean is that you should have stayed in Lindblum so you may recover from the wounds and injuries you received in the Festival."

I shrugged. "A salesman has to work, whether he's injured or not. Besides, I don't need arms to make deals. I only need my mouth for that." Though if you don't have any arms, you can't shake hands and make an agreement official. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? It has only been an hour since I started my watch." Well it felt like an hour to me, possibly even longer.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied wistfully. It's easy to guess what is running in her head for sleep to escape her. "Too obvious, is it?"

Darn it, did it again. Maybe I should see a specialist for this. "It's a very topical subject right now, especially for you."

Dagger sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Everything is just…Everything suddenly became so complicated and confusing. Why would my mother take this kind of action? She used to be such a nice person until father's passing. After that she slowly changed."

My eyes turn away from her saddened gaze. "Grief does a lot of things, Dagger. I'm sure you dealt with it your own way and your mother did in her way as well. But there's too many things going on to actually say what caused her to attack Burmecia. And I think that's why you wanted to leave so badly." Her nod gives me a sign to say one more thing. "And here I thought you were heading to Burmecia to plead for their forces to stop attacking."

"I'm concerned for the people she is putting under fire, but I know stepping into Burmecia would only cause more trouble for everyone. Going back to Alexandria to talk with mother is the next best idea I had." Yeah, I wonder if Zidane would feel foolish when he hears about her line of thinking.

"Well, it does look like you have a lot in mind when you say it like that. Anyway, you should get some sleep. I'm sure if conventional sleep doesn't work you can use some of that sleeping weed you have, right?" I suggest as I walk back to our bonfire.

"I would have done that already if I had any left." Her words caused me to stumble a bit. Now I feel foolish. In an attempt to make it up for the careless comment, I had a thought that should help her sleep and it's in a small vial in my pocket.

Then I had another thought. A sinister thought. The sleeping potion vial I owned gave me options, ones that I did not want to consider because of what may happen to me. Possibilities came into mind as I kept looking back and forth between the vial and the princess, possibilities that hopefully wouldn't end in bloodshed. Thinking about it made me think of what Steiner would do if he wakes up from his sleep while I'm taking Dagger away while she's rendered unconscious. Would I be able to explain or escape?

Highly unlikely.

"Alright. I'm not going to suggest that you take my spot since you haven't gotten any rest so far. Here, take this." I finally make up my mind and hand her the vial. "This should knock you out after you drink it."

She accepts the vial and looks at it for a second. "If I recall correctly, you took this from the Ice Cavern?"

I nod in the positive. "I don't have much, but I hope that's enough for a good night's rest." And I left it at that as I got back to my previous spot by the fire. She went back in her tent soundlessly with the vial in hand, leaving me in and my own thoughts for the next few hours until my watch ends.

That's one chance gone. I could have smashed the vial in her face, splashed the liquid on her face, or forced her to drink it. While my conscience will take a serious blow if I do take that chance, getting away clean would be immensely difficult. Doing this with only one person definitely stacked the deck against myself. Perhaps if I had someone else with me to do this who has no qualms about doing dirty work.

Alyssa would definitely not want to do it if I asked her. She may want to change the world's events, but murdering another person is definitely one thing she will not do just to make a change. She will even tell me not to do it. However, I do wonder what the odds would be if I suggest we kidnap Dagger until the war is over. That should get her to thinking. Unfortunately, she's not here right now and is possibly too busy walking towards Gizamaluke's Grotto.

The night's still young. I can think this over until I have to wake Steiner for his watch. Well, if I can think while keeping alert, that is.

\- OLaF -

Dreams about changing fate and killing certain girls did not help me sleep after Dagger started her turn. The sleep I managed to get after my watch did not feel enough to get me through the Steiner's rough shaking when morning came. I whined and groaned as I crawled out of the tent while they prepared to continue with our journey.

Once the day was in full swing, we finally put Dagger's plan in action. I watched Dagger explain how we would go about infiltrating the South Gate border with the materials she gathered from Lindblum. I didn't have any other clever ideas with her portion of the plan, but I am a bit concerned regarding the questions the security there would ask. The thought of murder kept lingering in the back of my head though, distracting me more often than not and causing the two Alexandrians to snap me out of it to help them.

Right now Steiner was carrying a big sack on his shoulder with the help of a long stick he fashioned from one of our unused firewood. Dagger was curled into a ball and hidden in a small sack under a smaller sack that contained the Gysahl Pickles I have been carrying on the way here. God help her for being that close to the pickles for this length of time. On a somewhat related note, Nero didn't like being separated from his favorite food, opting to sit on the closed sack instead of his usual spot in my sling.

Sometimes I would stare at the sack as Steiner walked three steps ahead of me. Once again, I'm being tempted with another opportunity. I could easily slip my poison dagger into the bottom side of the sack and easily hightail out of here before the knight could even figure out what had just happened. Looking at the focused captain, I wondered how easily I could blindside him with his back turned. How far would my dagger have to go through his neck to cause him to drop the sack without any resistance? Well, that is if I can gather enough courage to do it and not throw up at just the thought.

I tried to shake those thoughts away. Getting not enough sleep was bad enough, the monsters that came to attack us didn't make the morning any better.

South Gate was just in the horizon. I tried distracting myself by throwing around ideas with Steiner regarding what we should say to the border guards when we arrive there. Just to pass the time while we make our trek towards the massively damaged border gate.

"There is no need to add any unnecessary deception to this ploy." Well, I was throwing around ideas and Steiner was shutting them down. I cannot tell if he is only disagreeing due to him not trusting me or for actually not liking the idea of lying to the border patrol guards.

"How can you know?" I yawned, insisting on having more to tell the guards if they happen to ask questions. Sure Steiner manages to get inside the gate, but I feel it could go a lot smoother if we butter up the guards and tell them a sob story or confuse them with an extended diatribe of our backstories.

"Because it will be simple. We inform the guards that I am looking to give aid in rebuilding the damaged gate while you tell them your current occupation." The knight outlined what he planned for us to do. Well that is simple. Too simple for my tastes.

"Did you think of anything else beyond that? Like, for example, why someone like you, who wears armor and is armed to the teeth, would want to help rebuild the South Gate or what if you are recognized as the captain of Alexandria's Pluto Knights?"

That made him narrow his eyes at me, but eventually went back to looking ahead. "Those are fair points."

"Of course they are... But don't worry! I can help—"

"Yet I still stand by my decision of not compounding our approach." Always the stubborn knight. Fine, if he just wants to walk up there and keep silent when asked the hard questions then so be it.

"Alright. I guess I'm not bringing back the Vice Admiral gimmick then." I felt Steiner's glare come back with a vengeance as well as the sack suddenly swing itself to hit me. "I was only kidding! Besides, they're probably looking for Alexandrians anyway."

With my suggestions thrown out, I felt restless as we closed the distance towards the border and the mountain containing the Gate. On the other hand, there's a chance that it would not matter in the end since

Steiner manages to get through without saying anything he didn't need to mention. Let's just hope things stay that way when we get there.

It was around fifteen minutes of walking until we saw the closed gate, the two Lindblum guards, and the high wall standing between us and our way to Alexandria. Border check is going to be a bit nerve-wracking, especially when I have never been through a country's border. Also, I've only been out of the country once. Not that I'm scared of going out to explore new places. I'm just not made of money.

I look at Steiner and gauge what he's feeling as we approach the border. He's kept his signature straight face aimed right in front of him. Then my gaze goes to the sack. I hope Dagger is still alive in the sack since it's been a while when we started. Did she mention her opinion on the pickles before? What if she suffocated due to the pickles' stench? There is a chance my presence here has affected something in this picture, pretty small percentage of chance there, but a chance nonetheless of her dying in there.

What if this plot-driven plan of hers accidentally killed her?

"Dagger, are you still alive in there?" I whispered to the sack. I can't help but check. A second later it swung and hit me, causing the black-feathered chocobo on top of it to jump out into my arms due to the sudden action. "Okay. Good to know." With my doubt put to rest, despite the disappointment I slightly felt, I continued to follow Steiner in silence.

The moment we saw the guards, we could see them move from their loose stances. They straightened and one of them came forward with a hand raised just as we were climbing the steps.

"Halt!" One of them cried and we followed the moment we heard him. "What's the purpose of your visit?"

Steiner spoke first, pointing to the mountainside. "I heard workers are needed to fix South Gate. I brought my belongings here so that I may live and work here."

"That's great!" The taller guard exclaimed. "They've been working on the gate nonstop since the accident, but it's still broken."

"Hard to repair something so big in just a week." I comment.

"Yes, but they're trying their best. At this rate, it's going to be a bother for any airship traveling through the mountainside." The shorter one replied. Then he turned to me just as I was stifling a yawn. "How about you?"

"Helping my friend here get the job." I answer when the question gets directed to me. I even patted Steiner's shoulder, much to his surprise. "He doesn't usually go far from home, but I've been pushing for him to try working on something this big at least once. I'm sure helping South Gate get back to its feet would be a nice write-up on his resume."

"Aside from encouragement, do you have any other reason to be here?" His partner specified.

"I'm just a traveling salesman, looking for the next best sale of his life."

Both guards looked me up and down, taking in the sight of light armor all over my body as I held Nero in one hand before focusing on the sling my right arm rested in. "Although you came prepared, it's hard to believe you're willing to brave the Mist with the way you're looking."

"I'm airsick. I cannot for the life of me last a minute in the air." I tried for a nervous chuckle, putting on my best embarrassed smile.

"That sounds like a tough predicament, with air travel being faster and safer than walking through the Mist." The shorter guard commented with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, not that no one does it. It's still pretty common if you have an armed entourage with you." His taller compatriot added.

I shrugged with a sigh. Make it believable, Blake. "It is. But that doesn't mean I can't do it. Been going at it for five years and I'm grateful I get to do what I do with each passing day. Maybe someday this little guy would help me out with my travels." I nuzzle Nero to my face, its short black feathers being rustled by my cheek. "Today isn't about me though. It's about my friend here trying to get some work." I end with a friendly nudge on the Captain's armor.

The two guards nodded, taking that as the end of my brief interrogation. The look on Steiner's face as he gave me a side glance told me he was unimpressed with everything I said. His focus shifted over to the guards requesting him to put down his massive bag for inspection. Steiner did not need to be told twice as he carefully placed it in front of the border officials. We asked to step back as one of them started untying the knot on top of the sack while the other one apologized for this inconvenience.

As the Steiner and the taller guard started a conversation, more like Interrogation Part Deux, I kept close to the captain while keeping my attention on the sack. Still I kept an open ear to their talk. I am sure he will need me to improvise for him if he gets tight-lipped and forced to answer.

"So…where are you guys from?" The guard asked, resulting in Steiner going completely still. "We were told to keep an eye out for a girl and a middle-aged man. Did you see a pair like that on your way here?"

"That sounds like an unlikely criminal duo if I ever heard one," I remarked loosely. "What if they are related to each other? Father-daughter criminals!"

"Hardly," Steiner tried to defend the 'wanted duo'. "And they are not related. M-Might not be related!

"True that they are not criminals, but the Regent has demanded that these two be found. For what reason, we've yet to be informed." He explained to the both of us. "The girl supposedly looks exactly like Princess Garnet, the most beautiful princess ever to grace Alexandria Castle."

"Well there aren't a lot of princesses there now so there's not a lot of competition," I joked, getting a good chuckle from him while his partner behind him was starting to figure out the puzzle of the knot.

"But you know how Queen Brahne looks. It's hard to believe that she'd have such a beautiful daughter." That statement got Steiner's face to twist in anger, but was dismissed easily since the guard was too absorbed by his observation.

"There's a possibility that she's not the mother, which upon observing the queen might seem true." My accusation was about to set Steiner off when the timely scream of the shorter guard interrupted us. The Pluto Knight Captain's anger was written all over his face and directly aimed at me. I looked away innocently as the guards were trying to discern the commotion about the sack.

"Wh-What is that!? What are those…those…rotten things!? Are they poison!?" He was struggling to complete his sentences as he choked on the stench coming from the sack, making him gasp while separating himself from Steiner's 'belongings.

Steiner finally let what I said pass as he spoke with a confused tone, "Rotten? I'm not carrying anything rotten."

The taller guard realized that his partner was just being too dramatic when he saw the pickles. He sighed and informed us that the inspecting guard did not like them. It disgusted him and the smell made him nauseous, unlike Nero who wanted to jump out of my hands and into the bag. He can chow down on those pickles when we're done with them. Steiner's additional insistence that they were also his favorite let the whole thing slide, resulting in the inspection to be over, allowing us to pass.

We thanks them for their service and finally we found ourselves past our first challenge. Next was finding a place for Dagger to change—

"Ow!" I hissed when I felt something wallop my side. I look over to see Steiner scanning the area and then notice that the sack was hanging right beside me. Someone is feeling too antsy with their role in this plan. "That hurt, you know."

"Talk. Later." Dagger whispered from inside the sack.

Not much longer and she will be able to finally stand and be away from gysahl pickle smell. The only things blocking us from safely getting her out of here are two individuals to the right side of our current area: a mechanic currently working on some machinery by the wall and a hesitant part-time worker by the entranceway towards the station. I nudge Steiner and point out the two individuals standing in our way.

We agreed to divide and conquer, to make those two move in any way we can. I suggested that I'll try to get the woman by the archway to move while he went towards the mechanic so he can figure out how he can get him to part with his current position.

I approach the worker while trying to pass off as a clueless traveler. When I got closer, I let Nero down on his own feet to explore the area. His walking sure has gotten better. The little chocobo wandered close to the lady, attracting her attention when he chirped and circled her. Alright, try to remember what needs to happen to move her along…

We got into some small talk after apologizing for Nero's behavior until I pointed out how she looked somewhat sad. After sharing that her friend had lost his business, the same guy sulking just across from us, I tried to remember Steiner's words and made them my own in an attempt to brighten up her day. After a few quiet moments, I could see her demeanor change to something resembling a positive one, opting to encourage her friend through hard times.

Once she was by her friend's side and not impeding the archway with her curious eyes, I started waiting for Steiner to finish up his part. I gathered Nero into my arms and ran my hand through his black feathers.

"Someone's going to get a big treat when we get to Treno for a job well done," I whisper to the chocobo, his soft tweets told me he was looking forward to it.

It took a good minute for him to motivate the mechanic to move, having to throw the other mechanic at the other side of the entrance under the bus for procrastinating with his work. An angered mechanic came running to his lazy co-worker and started discreetly reprimanding him while trying not to attract any attention. He hastily made his way over to the archway so we can go on our merry way, but I didn't move as I expected the guard from earlier to come in.

"Hey, hold on!" Steiner froze when he recognized the guard's calling for us, stiffly turning his head to acknowledge him. "You, guy with the chocobo. Would you come over here? Rules and regulations, you know."

I patted the knight beside me. "Stay calm," I whispered to him before moving over to the guard. "Is there a problem, sir?"

"No, not really. Just had to give this to you. Nearly forgot about it when your friend over there surprised me with those stinky pickles." He presented me with two slips of paper. I examined it and saw the phrase 'Gate Pass' on the front. My curiosity got to me when I took a peek at the back of each Gate Pass. No secret messages. Good.

"Thank you." I said as I gave the Gate Passes another look. So Steiner and I have one each, but that leaves Dagger without one. The game only gave the player one Gate Pass because one item can represent all of the party members when it comes to story exclusive events and passes. I might need to get her one without being suspicious.

Before the guard could begin to go back to his post, I tap him on the shoulder to get his attention once more. "Oh, sorry to be a bother, sir, but I was talking to Mary over there. She's in a bit of a bind because she lost her Gate Pass after rushing here to be with her friend, the guy she's talking to now." I nod over to the talking workers on the other side of the area. "She was so worried about him losing his business that she got a little careless with her belongings. I know it's not my business, but she is going through a lot right now and I thought I would help her out by asking for another Gate Pass on her behalf. That is if it's okay with you, sir."

The blue-clad guard looked over to the conversing workers and it helped my part of the story that there was a somber feel to how they were talking. The guard slumped at the sight. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. Tell her to keep an eye on this one."

"Thank you again. I know Mary will appreciate this so much." My grateful display was helped by Nero's seemingly cheerful kwehs as the guard handed me one more Gate Pass before he went back to the other side of the gate. Once he was gone, I dropped the attitude and started to go back to Steiner's side. "Here you go, captain. Three Gate Passes."

"Three?" He repeated when I gave him two.

"He was gonna give us only two. I bargained for an additional pass. Come on, I'm sure someone would like to get some fresh air."

I kept my current position by the entranceway of this short tunnel leading to the train while Steiner put down his sack, giving Dagger the go-to signal to come out after moving the smaller sack of pickles out of the way. He went to the other side of the tunnel to keep guard, prompting me to look the other way in case Dagger pops out naked, which I doubt will happen, but I did not want to take that chance. It took a while and my lack of sleep started showing again after a few long yawns. When she was ready, we fixed up the sacks and hid them between the crates in the tunnel while I restocked my pouch of pickles from the sack.

Before we went ahead, I noticed Dagger giving me this extremely displeased look. When asked why, she mentioned this. "I expected better of you, Blake, insulting my mother and insinuating rumors of my upbringing like that. You should work on your manners, especially when you talk about people behind their back."

"I don't really need to be lectured right now." I groaned, running a hand over my face. "We have our passes and we have a destination in mind. Can we just get on the train?"

"Perhaps you meant cable car?" Dagger's correction went over my head when Steiner walked over and shoved my good shoulder.

"Don't you dare talk to the princess like that! If it were up to me, you would be punished at the very spot you stand for slander." He warned me.

I directed an annoyed glare at the knight. "Oh? I didn't see you defend Dagger's honor when that guard opened his mouth. Perhaps you're only doing so right now because you know you can take me down so easily. Well let's see if you can do the same when I bring that guy back here."

Dagger stopped me before I could take a single step out of the tunnel with a hand around my good wrist. "There's no need for that." She tried to calm the tension around us by taking a breath, exhaling softly as she released her grip on me. "I'm just…not used to hearing such words be spoken about my mother like that, especially in this time of unrest. I know I won't get used to it, but as a friend I would ask that you avoid such a sensitive topic."

Friend? We barely know each other. If Steiner had anything to say about it, I did not deserve to be anywhere near the Alexandrian royal family. Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I would be suspicious of anyone and everyone to come in contact of me. What is it with these people just giving away their trust like freebies in a mall? Who knows what they would do with it? They might stab you in the back if carelessly you let anyone close, especially for the right price. I might…

"Alright," I conceded. "Sorry if I offended you. Let's just get on the train or cable car or whatever before we have to wait for another one."

With our apparent 'disagreements' put aside for now, we made our way towards the cable car waiting area. It was only a small hill with a dead end for the cable car with a less populated area than the entrance to the gate, but with the wires and railroad connecting towards the mountain the way towards Treno would only be accessible by this vehicle. Unless that is you want to torture yourself or desire to hike with monsters chasing you.

The cable car was comparable to a compact train with its singular cab big enough to fit five families. It sure had a way of attracting attention aside from its horn with the big horse figure in the front of the cab, or back depending on where this cable car is heading, with the fancily designed armor put on it. You could use that horse figure to ram a hole into a wall and it surely would not look worse for wear afterwards.

We chose to board the cable car after checking our item supply. We have yet to use most of them because of Dagger's healing magic so we decided to refill our potions at Treno instead. Our Gate Passes were checked and our belongings inspected by the Conductor by the cable car before we were allowed inside.

"We shall be heading off in just a minute. Please take a seat while we go through the last of our inspections and adjustments." The Conductor told us as he let us in.

The three of us took two seats in the middle. The two Alexandrians sat together while I occupied the lone seat across them. Nero stood between us, carefully exploring the space between our feet as I moved away from the light of the sun, choosing to sit closer to the aisle. We were alone inside the cable car with the Conductor making his rounds while Steiner and Dagger were making themselves comfortable. That was until one last passenger made the last call, bursting into the cable car in a hurried run and tired grunt.

That was Mary, the woman from before, I bet. Her cutting it close was expected, but her suddenly appearing in front of my face was quite the opposite, causing me to jump at her presence. She did this to thank me for my 'encouraging' words to which I responded by trying to be polite and return the sentiment.

When she nodded and took her own seat somewhere else, I dropped the smile and moved over closer to the window. It's farther from the aisle, which means less interactions with random people, and it's easier to lean my heads against the wall and sleep. Slumping into my seat, I could feel Nero step on my shoe and chirp while looking up at me. Dagger noticed the discomfort when I saw her staring at me, but she decided not to say something about it.

I let Steiner and Dagger talk amongst themselves since they were just patting themselves on the back for having this much success in their attempt to get back home, mostly Steiner because he's throwing praise on the princess, who is pretty much the brains behind this three person operation. So while Steiner is rattling off the ways Dagger got us here, I tried to close my eyes and get some sleep before things begin to be hectic once more. I lift up Nero to my seat using my foot and find him nuzzled by the side, thinking of also getting some rest beside me.

Then he moved from praise to simply knocking on Zidane's character just because he did not like him for the initial 'kidnapping'. Even Dagger initially gave good words for the thief with how he taught her to speak like a normal person. As much as I wanted to point out the irony with how he's talking behind someone's back, I let it go and just stayed out of it. Speaking out in favor of the former Tantalus member would only result in another argument and having that again would give me less time for sleep.

God knows I need to be energized before my nightmare comes back to haunt me.

\- OLaF -

Sleeping on a moving vehicle has always been a problem for me. Well, I was told it was problematic for me. This problematic nature only becomes apparent when I wake up when my fellow passengers comment how I could sleep through my head getting banged against the car window or the seat in front of me at least ten times throughout a long car ride. I don't see it as a problem since I usually get a decent amount of rest when I sleep in moving, compact spaces at the cost of feeling sore when I wake up. This, however, didn't help with my recurring bad dreams.

Apparently, despite the cable car's seemingly well-paced and slow climb to its destination, I had dinged against the cabin quite a few times it had made someone uncomfortable from watching it. I discovered that I had been moved from my prior position of leaning against the wall to lying on my back on my long seat when I woke up. I also discovered Nero suddenly sleeping on me instead of beside me. Being moved from my previous position is not new for me. I just didn't expect it to happen now.

When the cable car ceiling finally became steady and bright, I held Nero close as I sat up in an attempt to not disturb his own sleep. I eventually manage get back to my old position looking towards the other two I have shared the ride with while setting down Nero beside me his sleep undisturbed. The girl sitting across from me was quietly sleeping already, her posture still of a lady of royalty. Her knight, however, was not beside her. One glace over my shoulder answered the question of where he might have gotten to, having a conversation with the Conductor.

I stifle a yawn with my hand before trying to stretch, finally refreshed and ready for any physical action I might regret in the future. The side of my head did feel a bit sore if the slight ache above my ear had something to say about it. Cupping it comfortably with my hand, I look out to see the view. It gave me some clue as to how far we are from the station we left. Before I slept we were closer to the ground. That was not the case right now.

The sound of moving metal and footsteps made me settle back into my seat while Steiner stopped at the aisle beside our spot. I gave him a nod, one he didn't return, as he focused on the sleeping princess across from me. At least he's not loudly accusing me of murder, so that's an improvement.

His attempt to inform her of the cable car arriving at the Summit Station in only a few minutes didn't catch her attention due to her being asleep, so he walked around and completely ignored me even when I was willing to listen. It didn't matter anyway because the car slowly adjusted its speed until it stopped. The Conductor announced our arrival, waking up Dagger and Nero while prompting everyone else to prepare to disembark. I let Nero down on the floor to follow me out, my eye constantly on him to see if he's actually following me or not, while the two Alexandrians were close behind.

Summit Station had two things going for it and one of them was the view of the surrounding mountains. I could barely see the South Gate field entrance down below. The Mist barely reached this high up, making the ground below harder to see as it blankets the entire continent as far as the eye could see. Somewhere out there a millionaire is just waiting to find an excellent spot for his mountainside mansion. If he has yet to visit this part of the land then he's missing out on possible locations.

Dagger and Steiner were also admiring the view, but towards the direction of their kingdom. They let themselves take in the view of the landscape to let the fact that they are so close to being home sink in that I could feel their relief from where I stood. It made me feel envious that they could see their home ahead of them when I can't.

However, they were presenting me a way of getting there. Just past the railing would be a tremendously high cliff running down the station to the forests and rocky mountainside. As Dagger leaned on the wooden railing, conversing with Steiner about being so close to Alexandria, Meguro's offer comes into mind once again.

My feet drags me forward one step at a time.

Fate was giving me a chance and here I am staring at it as if I didn't know what to do. A chance to see home, to forget all of this has ever happened. And all it could take is a single push.

I take another step.

I can't help but wonder about the consequences. I push Dagger off the side of Summit Station to her death. And then what? Do I basically disappear back in that beach resort moments after the lightning hits me? What happens if that's not the case? Steiner will easily manhandle me and might kill me on the spot. So I remedy that scenario by pushing Steiner off too if I have to.

One more step closer to the two.

But then there's Mary waiting over there by the rest stop entrance and this knowledgeable old guy who talks about the cable cars like it's his hobby. Two separate witnesses standing far apart from each other. They will notice the screams that will fill the air once I get rid of the two Alexandrians. That would lead to people detaining me until the proper authorities arrive while they search for the bodies I pushed off.

I'm as close as I can be without them noticing me. My hand pulls back and readies for that moment that would bring me back home.

However, if I do manage to push them off, what are the odds of them surviving the fall? That would make all the time I gathered the courage and the timing of this whole act basically for naught. Zidane would hate my guts, Steiner would watch me be executed, and Dagger would let it happen without any argument. Alyssa would be disappointed I took this course of action.

Just one push…

I spin around in anger and walk away from them. It's too much! Too many uncertain factors not in my favor! Meguro makes it sound so simple, but I can't shake the thoughts and possibilities of what happens next. And because of that I can't push myself to do it.

Before I rescued Andrew, I knew I was going to get hurt and I accepted that. When I jumped on Black Waltz No. 3's back, I believed I wouldn't die because we were only halfway into the game's first arc, thinking that I would have plot armor because it would be too soon for anyone to die. It was stupid, but it was enough for me to do it. Now it's different. This is a new scenario, detached from the story I know, yet personally involved for my goal and I just can't do it.

A nudge by my feet rouses me from my thoughts. I met Nero's beady gaze for a moment before Dagger's voice got my attention. She was already standing by the nearest rest stop entrance with Steiner at her side, calling for me to get a move on.

"Y-Yeah. Coming." I need to pull myself together before I go insane.


	29. Green Eyes, Take Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Return of Black Waltz No. 3

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 28: Green Eyes, Take Warning

\- Dagger -

In just a day we were able to put distance between us and Lindblum, bringing us closer to confronting Mother back at Alexandria, where I'll try to get the answers that I have been looking for since the announcement of my kingdom attacking another for no apparent reason.

My mind was filled with questions I want to ask Mother. Questions ranging from the attack on Burmecia to that doll manufacturing factory in Dali and why she has been sending these strange mages to take me back instead of the familiar members of the kingdom's army.

I can admit that I've noticed how strange she's been acting the past few months before my recent birthday. People I barely knew have been seen walking around the castle and shadowy meetings were taking place with Mother leading them. They were hard to ignore despite the massive space of the castle. Mother was getting erratic, straying away from the kind and loving woman who raised me. That was why I wanted to get away, to go to Lindblum and ask Uncle Cid for help, for advice regarding Mother.

With how things turned out, I'm not sure advice will help with this crisis. But now I have to focus on getting home and finally confront Mother with her recent actions. We are supposed to be enjoying a time of peace and the only way for that to happen again is to have her stop her ruthless attack on Burmecia.

Thankfully the journey has gone smoothly so far. One factor I didn't expect was the teenager seated with his head against the table while his chocobo continued to eat the Bundt Cake he ordered twenty-five minutes ago. I didn't think he would be coming along with us due to the injuries he suffered in the Festival of the Hunt. Well, we didn't expect him to enter the contest itself because that decision would lack common sense, yet he still entered.

Steiner may think of Blake as a liability, but I don't. He's helped us out as much as he can with the gysahl pickles and the extra Gate Pass and he hasn't complained. He's the one who suggested to join us in the first place when he caught us leaving Uncle Cid's private lunch when he should be in the infirmary still recovering from his wounds. The effort he's going to avoid Steiner's labeling of his presence was almost commendable.

Yet there's this strange feeling I have about him, especially from recent events. His frustrated shouts was a far cry from his unwavering confidence at the beginning of the Hunt. His retreat from the much more comfortable accommodations of Lindblum Grand Castle to 'downgrading', as Zidane put it, to the local inn was weird for someone after his injured arm was put in danger. Then his timing of finding us the moment we are about to leave the castle was somewhat suspicious in of itself.

Since we left Lindblum, there has been this awkward air between us. I can't specifically place it and it's apparent that he knows it. He was especially fidgety during our talk last night when I attempted to figure it out when I heard him talking to himself. I couldn't understand what he was saying before I made my presence known and even with our brief conversation I wasn't able to get anything out of him, instead he had me figured out before I went back to sleep.

If only I knew why he isn't acting normally then I maybe would understand the logic of his decisions up to now. Seeing him so miserable at the table while we waited and gathered information is making me regret ever agreeing to bring him along.

As Steiner and I gathered around Blake's table, who did not even move or flinch once we were seated, Steiner started sharing the most optimal route back to Alexandria once we finish riding the cable car. It might possibly take two days at a normal pace, but if we push ourselves to trek through the night with minimal 3 hour rest at a passing village we might be able to reach the castle in just a day. I nodded and looked over to black feathered chocobo's owner, who didn't comment on it and continued to stare at the massive clock on the wall.

With our potential route finished, I sought out to bring more snacks over to our table. Blake had already bought himself a slice of South Gate Bundt Cake before he took the table earlier and right now half of it was being eaten by Nero. I got myself a slice of the same cake, a glass of water, and some sweets for our cable car ride later. Steiner bought himself a serving of fresh salted chips that was placed in a refillable pouch if he were to request for another serving.

Some five minutes of eating and idle conversation, we hear something outside followed by the announcement of the cable car to Alexandria arriving. It would need some time before we are allowed to board the cable car as well as allow their passengers to move over to Lindblum-directed cable car if they wish to do so. A handful of passengers from the other cable car started coming in. A few workers in their sweat-stained slacks were first to stroll in. Behind them was this white-haired man in a bright coat silently coasted by until he found himself a private spot.

We finished up our snacks, with Nero wanting a share of ours after devouring Blake's slice of cake, before disposing of the remains and heading out. Blake didn't move from the table for some reason, in fact he seemed tense, and it made Steiner nudge him and urged him to get up. He was holding on to the table and breathing hard.

"Are you okay?" I patted him on the back to help with the problem. He was shaking his head and trying to wave me off.

"It's fine!" He wheezed as he sat up straight. "Just the high altitude giving me a hard time." That particular reason seemed off since we were not that high up on the mountain. I didn't feel as if it's hard to breathe and even Steiner didn't look like breath would be lost on him.

Strange… He's never said anything about having any sort of breathing problems before. If he insists then I'll pay no mind to it.

"The car to Lindblum has just departed!" The attendant announced. That finally prompted Blake to stand up once he was back to normal. As he was putting Nero down to walk, another cry filled the air, this time it sounded regretful.

"I missed my ride!"

Almost everyone in the room turned their heads at the voice, mostly in surprise, but the moment I heard it something in my memories reminded me of someone I had met just recently. When Steiner walked over to ask why I was making a face, I answered with, "That voice sounds familiar..."

I started to exit the rest stop and finally had a face to the voice I remembered. Standing at the other entrance in a panicked state was a man with a pencil beard, a wide mouth now spilling cries of mistimed opportunities, and a protruding belly uncontained by his small brown jacket. Even as he paced and talked nervously, the other man with him was also familiar. A green outfit that resembled of sea-worthy rogues and shanties armed with a sword, he stood there with his arms crossed and countered with calm suggestions while his friend continued to panic.

These two were members of the Tantalus Theater Troupe, Marcus and Cinna if I recall correctly. The very same people who my uncle tasked with kidnapping me as well as the ones who were left behind in Evil Forest. They seemed okay by the looks of it aside from looking word down by their journey.

One of them spoke about being late returning to Lindblum while his calmer companion let it slide, but was probably tired of seeing bundt cake if his reaction from his friend's desire to eat another slice was to mean anything. Their casual cheer was then stomped when I heard Steiner suddenly shout.

"Scoundrels!" I ran inside the moment I realized Steiner was acquainted with the members of Tantalus. I ran inside in the hopes I would stop a fight from happening.

Everyone's attention was all on the four men standing in the middle of the room with Steiner pointing an accusing finger at the two new arrivals. Blake was right beside him looking more annoyed than surprised at this turn of events. The two actors/thieves looked at each other, one of indifference and the other in dismay at Steiner.

"Are you here to kidnap the—" Steiner's accusation was not allowed to be completed when Blake put his able hand on his mouth.

"I'm sorry! I think my friend here is mistaken!" The black haired salesman tried to cover for Steiner before he said anything sensitive regarding our identities.

Then Cinna leaned over and asked quite audibly, "Who's the big tin man?"

Steiner couldn't bear the disrespect as he tore Blake's hand away. "WHAT!? How dare you!"

"Calm down. You're making a scene." Blake sighed, but didn't make any effort to stop my armored companion. I was making my way over to scold them for making such a ruckus.

"He's the captain of the Knights of Pluto." Marcus whispered as I passed him.

"Oh yeah!" Once the man wielding a hammer realized who it was, he turned back to him and deadpanned. "You're one bad actor."

"It takes one to know one, buddy." Blake remarked while Steiner growled beside him.

Then Cinna turned and pointed to Blake. "And weren't you the guy who killed that soldier when we were escaping?"

The young salesman, tired of the accusation, sighed dejectedly. "Sometimes I wonder why I bother denying it every single time…"

Steiner was about to make another comment about the two thieves standing in front of him, but wasn't able to when he saw me and shrank a bit with the look I made at him. Both members of Tantalus saw his reaction and turned to where I was standing.

"You're Marcus, right? What are you doing here?" I asked the two. Both expressed their surprise of seeing me here and were about to say something when I interrupted them. "And please don't address me by my title. We don't want to be found out."

Upon understanding my reasoning, I was about to continue asking about their travels when Steiner cut me off. "Princess! You shouldn't waste your breath on these criminals!"

The entire room was already paying attention at the scene unfolding, hoping it would bring excitement to this somewhat lonely yet relaxing station, but the mere addressing of my title made them look on even more in intrigue. We didn't come this far only to be pointed out and taken by authorities when we are so close. I took Steiner and dragged him out of there by his ear for a private lecture while his cries were ignored.

"That's enough, Steiner!" I scolded him. Apparently we weren't all alone. Blake and Nero followed close behind while Cinna and Marcus watched by the rest stop entrance. My knight was left confused until I offered my reasoning. "Can't I even talk to my friends?"

"Friends!?" He repeated incredulously. Even Blake looked a bit put off with what I had said. "But they're…"

"I don't think 'friends' is the right term you're looking for." Blake suggested regarding Steiner's reaction. "They're more like acquaintances sent by the Regent to take you away from your home forcefully, only to realize you wanted that and were surprised that you were so willing."

I put my foot down on the cobblestone patterned floor that silenced both of them. "Both of you should be ashamed with how you're acting."

"Yes, Prin—" One look made him adjust his habit of using my princess title. "Yes, ma'am."

"Why am I being scolded? I just corrected you and tried to help out the captain here before he put you on the spot." The injured teenager tried to deflect the blame.

"I wouldn't have stepped in if you exerted more effort in stopping Steiner's outburst." I countered, making him roll his eyes.

"This is what I get for being the good guy." Then he looks down and make eye contact with the small chocobo. "But as a good parent, I'm willing to set a good example to Nero by apologizing, despite the fact I was trying to help."

"Kweh!" Nero tweeted to him.

I sighed and crossed my arms in thought. Sometimes these two just make me wonder how they can seem so normal when they act like children in the most inopportune moments. I know I can persevere with Steiner's antics, but the added personalities of Blake and his black-feathered pet/son is an unexpected boost in difficulty in leading the way to Alexandria. At least we are so close to the kingdom and away from Lindblum now compared to yesterday.

Then to our left we notice that a cable car is slowing to a stop. The engines hissed and smoke came out of the big pipe in the front the moment it had parked itself into the station. We then heard the announcement coming from inside the rest stop that the car to Alexandria has arrived. Good timing for us to step out and have that happen.

Just as we were going back inside the rest stop to gather our forgotten belongings, we passed Marcus and Cinna and I overheard that one of them was going to Alexandria. Their reasoning was left private as they didn't mention it, but the thought of being in the same cable car as one of them made me curious.

The leader of the Pluto Knights was ready to board the car, unaffected by my scolding compared to Blake, who was giving me this weary aura when he fell to step beside me. When we stopped by the cable car, he looked over to view of the fields and mountains leading to Alexandria. His eyes seemed regretful, but he sighed and shook his head before stepping into the cable car. Was he not looking forward to getting to Alexandria? His description of his career sounds as straightforward as it could get, yet that did not imply that his clientele were the kind you don't look forward to meeting with again.

Another question I had in mind formed when I heard Cinna and Marcus exchange farewells with the latter saying he would be saving their 'bro'. It was rather vague and like how the average person was privy to how Tantalus actually functions, I am left in the dark.

Once our Gate Passes were checked by the conductor, we followed Blake and found him sitting at the corner away from the sun. I wasn't focused on our spot or the three other people coming in to ride with us. I had immediately sat down beside Marcus before we departed from the station to continue our conversation from earlier by bringing up the most relevant question I had in mind.

"I'm going to Treno to save our brother." He answered with a nod. The confused look on my face as he continued to use that word pushed him to explain. "There's only one man I call 'Bro'. That's Blank."

The mention of that name brought me back to when I was drugged and abducted by that plant monster in Evil Forest. He made the cure for those inflicted with the plant poison and helped in my rescue from those monsters. In the end, he sacrificed himself to ensure the fleeing group's safety just before the forest petrified itself.

His noble sacrifice had only sunk in a day after I had woken from the sickness brought by the plant. Zidane was distraught, saying he needed to rescue him even though it was apparent we couldn't access the forest from where we stood that day. He promised to come back for him while I offered any help and comfort I could since the petrification happened because of their battle to rescue me. If Zidane knew and was not able to do it, the other members of his thieving circle must have figured it out and vowed the same. Now they were making their promise finally happen.

"We've been gathering info to cure his petrification. We learned about an item called Supersoft that cures all forms of petrification." He explained further. Then I brought up Cinna, who he left at the Summit Station. "He's going to the Tantalus hideout to tell the others."

"Why not bring them all instead of going alone?" Blake then asked from our seat. He was alone with Nero and a silent white-haired passenger who didn't seem bothered about our conversation.

"Getting out of that place was hell, before and after the petrification and the boss wanted to get out of there before we lost more people." Marcus answered. "I insisted to find a way to get Blank back. He was having none of it at first, but he eventually gave up and agreed. I guess we were too stubborn to ignore, especially when it comes to each other. And we found it. Now Cinna's reporting back to the rest of our group because he thinks he might mess up getting the Supersoft. He's more into the machinery than sleight of hand."

"For a bunch of thieves, you seem very capable and competent." Steiner commented from his seat beside mine.

"You have to be competent and capable when you operate in your own field, especially when you're successful." Blake said with an air of confidence.

I was satisfied with the answers I got. Marcus, however, wanted his own. "So where's Zidane?"

My first reaction was to turn away. "We separated in Lindblum." Marcus is a smart man. He might figure out the truth written on my face if it weren't for my guilty response.

Then I heard him scoff. "Got rid of him as soon as you got to Lindblum, huh?"

"How could you say that!? It's only because Zidane kept treating me like a child!" Once again, every eye and ear was focused on our group and this time it was because of me. I sank into my seat even further when I realized I had defensively raised my voice. "…I don't care about him."

Marcus raised an eyebrow, or I think he did but was covered by his bandana when I saw it move. I felt that he could see right through me as much as I tried to sound uncaring for a moment there. He then shrugged and looked out of the window. "Fine. Then I don't know anything."

I didn't know what to say after that. It's true that Zidane was babying me when I insisted to help with the attack on Burmecia. I wouldn't be here right now if he was okay with me offering a hand for this time of tension between two countries. He knows I can handle myself. I may not hit as hard as everyone else, but my white magic has aided us time and time again through our journey to Lindblum.

We were quiet for a few minutes. The cable car enjoyed the silence as it chugged along the railway down the mountain. Yet my mind was buzzing with words wanting to come out to address what I had just said, to explain myself or to apologize. It felt so awkward not saying anything that it almost stifled the air between us. Looking at him as he stared out of the window as he watched the scenery roll by, a hint of forestry in the distance and a small settlement closer to us once we depart from the cable car. I know he's thinking about his 'bro'…

That's it! I can make amends by helping him with his goal since we're going to the same place.

"Say, Marcus….Um, is there any way I can help?" I suggested the thief, who looked over his shoulder after hearing me speak.

"Help with what?"

"Help with your Supersoft." I told him. "Well… I was partly responsible for what happened, so…" It's true. He would not have sacrificed himself if I didn't get caught by those monsters.

"No, thanks. We'll be fine on our own." He shook his head, but gave me a smile to say he appreciated the offer.

I tried to argue that it would be better to have more people to support them in times of need. My intentions weren't made clear when the cable car suddenly came to a screeching halt. Everyone was caught unprepared and it rattled us that some stumbled out of their respective seats. That included me, the part-time worker by the front, and the conductor. On the other hand, the others were able to hold on and prevent a nasty spill to the floor like Marcus, Blake, who held Nero between his injured arm, and the quiet white-haired man by the window.

The rest of the passengers were trying to recover from the shock at first. Steiner made the common reaction to ask what happened. The conductor tried to calm us down and assured us that it might have been the engine that gave out and made the cable car grind to a stop. He exited the cabin to check on the engine outside after making sure that we are okay.

"Here we go…" I heard Blake whisper to Nero nervously. It seemed that I was the only one who caught wind of that and was about to ask what he meant by that when the conductor ran back inside, a terrified scream following his immediate retreat.

"It's a demon! A demon with a pointy hat!" He pointed outside, his arm shaking in terror.

Steiner and I exchanged looks once the phrase 'pointy hat' was uttered. Those demons the people call with pointy hats could only mean one thing. Mother had sent out another of her twisted minions to take me back to the castle. Steiner led the charge to the outside first with me close behind. Marcus followed behind us demanding answers as to what demon was referred to.

His answer came from a form stumbling out of the cable car's front. I was right in a way, but this one already had their attempted thwarted long before that had resulted in South Gate's current situation. His coat was burnt in numerous places, his hat barely held together to give his face enough shade, and his wings were destroyed and bent in angles that made me wince. Some trails of blood covered his body and clothes, yet he continued to move in defiance of his previous fate with only this tall staff to lend him aid.

Black Waltz No. 3 is back and he's fighting to keep himself alive with every move he made.

"Mission…retrieve…princess…alive…" The broken mage muttered in a tired snarl. Each step he made towards us had the grace of a marionette moving despite its tangled strings and it seemed inhuman. His eyes saw us and stopped walking to analyze the sight before him. It didn't matter that the rest of the cable car's passengers were watching at the door in terror. He was focused on us, on me.

"Monster! I'll finish you off this time!" Steiner shouted as he drew his sword.

As he was stepping forward, I put an arm in front of him to stop his approach. For the life of me, I thought I would be able to talk with this monster. He had talked about taking me back to the castle under orders from my Mother like the rest of the Black Waltzes. There had to be a reason why she would send these horrible and deadly black mages instead of rational and capable men and women from our army. Why them of instead of the Pluto Knights or our beloved soldiers. General Beatrix would have been a better choice, yet Mother sent them.

My attempt to collect answers was met with the same phrase he had mumbled before. His mission was me and that was all that mattered. He is broken and beyond reasoning.

His eyes wandered to the men by my side. Then his staff started to glow.

"Eliminate…all…"

Multiple fireballs shot out of staff and hit the ground between us, exploding just a few feet from where we stood. If the circumstances of our encounter here were different, he would have singed us in a single blast. We were fortunate to be able to get out of its blast radius and begin our counterattack while I stayed close to the cable car entrance where I can provide support from a distance.

Marcus may not know what was happening, but a threat is still a threat and he lunged forward with his sword ready to slice the monster with the pointy hat. However, the stumbling and damaged mage continued his barrage of magic, this time using ice by trying to impale him with ice spikes. Not expecting that kind of response, he ran in a circle towards his back. With the enemy's attention away from him, Steiner thought to use this as a way to get in, only to be hit by electricity right in the chest, sending him back where he started.

The thief, on the other hand, was more successful, managing to get in close that his sword was met by the staff. It was followed by wild swings at the light-blue attired swordsman. He was forced to block the staff instead of continuing his attack. It was better than being hit by magic and it gave him an advantage of staying within range. When an opening came in the slight break of the Black Waltz's assault, he put up his sword one more time to stop the staff and ducked under it while cutting at the creature's torso.

It didn't enjoy the taste of steel and was almost about to set Marcus on fire with multiple fire blasts until Steiner entered the scene with his sword making a large cut at the mage's back. It screamed in pain, attacking the knight with his staff as it started to glow again this time with a blue tinge. When Steiner is on the defensive and blocking the Waltz's staff, Marcus went on the offensive by slicing at our enemy's blind spots. By getting hit the mage would switch targets and only cause himself more grief when the other would start attacking.

"Mission retrieve…princess…alive…" The glow on the staff flashed and energy cracked from it. I tried to focus my magic on the two swordsmen with something I've been trying to get used to during the small encounters we had on the way to South Gate. With a point of my rod, Steiner was the first to be covered in a bright coat of light. His form shimmered with the magic of Shell. It is my contribution to this fight for now.

I was unable to cast one on Marcus when the Black Waltz beat me to the punch by unleashing a handful of Thunder spells. It only needed one to stop the offensive of the thief. I felt something grab me by the elbow and pull me towards the interior of the cable car. The blast of energy sent them flying back with Marcus rolling on the ground and Steiner hitting the side of the cable car. That reaction saved me from getting shocked.

"Careful," I look over to see that it was Blake who saved me. Nero was in his arms and was surprisingly silent. "We don't want to ruin our journey here when we've gotten this far."

"Thanks." I said as I moved closer to check what happened after the suffering mage's attack. The two men facing him were still recovering from the blast as he looked for me.

He looked out of the window, safely pressed against the cable car's wall as he eyed the scene outside. The other passengers stared out of the door and windows as well in terror and interest. The part-time worker shook in her boots at the monstrous sight of the Black Waltz' damaged exterior while the mechanic had curled up and hidden between the seats. The conductor's attention would switch from interpreting the machinery's condition to the fighting outside. A surprising sight came with the white-haired man still seated, who was not paying attention to anything in particular, as if the last five minutes has not happened.

"It should be safe here while Steiner and Marcus are handling the monster out there." I managed to tell them when the sound of magic and metal continued to ring just a few feet outside. "Don't panic everyone! He is only after someone specific. He won't harm you if you don't put yourself intentionally in danger."

"If he comes in here, I'll give him hell." I hear Blake guarantee. I highly doubt that he's not bluffing either if he catches the Black Waltz off guard again.

"You're still hurt. I don't want you risking yourself out there like last time." Does this man ever learn his lesson? My last line was more meant for him than anyone else. "Please don't think about doing another dangerous stunt like last time."

"Do I have to?" He looks at me with a sly grin. If Alyssa finds out I would allow such behavior from his friend that would result in a much worse injury, she would be extremely horrified. I cross my arms and look at him, quietly making a my point across with how I glared at him. He then sighs and shrugs, admitting defeat.

"Fine… But no promises though." He replied as he put a hand on his dagger. His other hand twitched a bit but was otherwise secured in his sling. "Though I can't shake the feeling of wanting revenge for what he did to me since he's out there now."

My glare I directed at him only deepened, which made him frown in return. He better not think what he's thinking or else I'm going to take away that dagger of his and have Steiner detain him. I am not going to stand by as another of his plans backfires in front of me and cause further harm to himself. I put a hand on his shoulder and put my point across by making him sit down on the nearest seat.

"Please stay here for the sake of your health. You may have made the decision to come with us, however I am not going to excuse your decision to run out there and hurt yourself either accidentally or intentionally."

He frowned as I started to walk out of the cable car. My focus comes back to the two men fighting off the powerful magic-user as I willed my white magic to heal the two of their wounds. The mere sight of me caused him to direct his attention to me, his mission objective, only to receive another cut from Steiner's sword.

"Retrieve…princess…" The Black Waltz grunted and casted a Fire at his general direction. This only got the captain to stop briefly and hold his arms up, but most of the magic damage was blocked by my magic. He nodded in thanks for my assistance before charging at the twisted monster while I gave Marcus a burst of healing magic as he started getting up again.

Compared to our first confrontation, this was going smoothly despite our lower numbers. Black Waltz No. 3 may still have superior magic power, but he can't properly utilize it with how near he is at death's door. Call it a blessing that we encountered him like this especially that Vivi is away because that would only bring back bitter memories. Now we'll be able to put the final nail in the proverbial coffin in this Black Waltz saga when we thought we had already done so last week. At the pace it was going, he would certainly fall with how the two swordsmen were handling him.

As if the world wanted to prove me wrong, the Black Waltz screamed and unleashed a Blizzard spell around him, freezing Steiner's sword in mid arc in spikes of ice. Then without any hesitation he smashed through the ice and hit Steiner as he struggled to remove his sword. He wailed on him with his staff, Steiner's armor taking most of the physicality of each hit that made me wince every time it would connect.

Marcus interrupted his strikes by swatting at the staff to render the Black Waltz off-balance to cut deep into his shoulder. With a kick to the midsection, the Black Waltz went down to the ground on his misaligned wings as blood dripped from the thief's sword and out of the number of cuts he had all over his body. Despite all that he held on to his staff as he got back to his feet.

Fighting us in this condition is a futile effort. His mission directive overrode any common sense and strategy in his damaged state. It's clear that the only way this would end for him is failure like his brethren.

He wasn't able to stand anymore when his staff dropped to the ground. Coughing up the only words he has been able to repeat since our confrontation started followed by more blood, Black Waltz No. 3 fell to the dirt.

We were silent at first, thinking that this might not be his last defeat. But when he did not move anymore we considered that the end of it. Swords were sheathed and the passengers of the cable car could rest easy now that the attack was over. One person who was very pleased with this was Blake. He stood at the door with a grin on his face.

"Well that was a thing," he spoke up with a loose triumphant tone despite not taking part of the fight. Thank goodness for that.

"At least we're all right. Some bruises here and there a bit of fire burned off my shirt, but nothing pretty bad." Marcus said as he checked himself for any injuries.

"The Black Waltz was worse for wear when we last saw him when the South Gate was damaged. It is a miracle that he has been alive for this long." Steiner acknowledged the mage's persistent drive. "But no matter. We must make sure that the cable car is still functioning to finish our trip."

Blake raised a finger to interject. Nero was right by his feet. "Before we do go, I want to make sure he's going to be dead for a very long time." He then drew his dagger and started to walk past us, his chocobo walking alongside him.

I wanted to pull him back and tell him that it would be unnecessary. If he wanted to be assured about the defeated mage, maybe he would have asked someone else to make sure of the Black Waltz's death or perhaps have someone accompany him. However, I only shook my head at him and watched as he inspected the pointy-hat wearing mage. He was already dead and this was his way of getting a hit in when said enemy could no longer fight back.

He stood over the body of the twisted monster, kicking at various parts of his body to check for any reaction. Satisfied that he won't be in any danger, he kicked the body over so it was facing to the sky. He knelt down beside him to point the dagger at his injured arm.

"Didn't think you'd go down that easily." I heard him say to the body. His attempt at conversation at it was somewhat morbid. "Talk about anticlimactic. Though I wish I could repay you for breaking my wrist. Like an eye for an eye. It hurt like hell, just so you know. But I guess I can enjoy this instead."

The dagger was then raised and implanted on the dead monster's body. Not once, but three times did he do it. Each was accompanied by a statement he grunted to himself that I couldn't make out. His final stab went to where the face would be. There was a hint of satisfaction on Blake's face as he drew his arm back and wiped the blood off his dagger using the blue coat of the Black Waltz. He finally stood up and urged Nero to follow him back to the cable car.

Now that we have put the whole Black Waltz trio to rest and that Blake has gotten his 'revenge'

With the Black Waltz trio finally put to rest and that Blake has (in a way) avenged his broken arm, we can finally continue—

"Whoa!"

The sound of a struggle gets my attention. I look over and see Blake has fallen over. That wasn't something I should worry about, that is until I see the figure's wings rise from the ground.

The body of the Black Waltz moved, back hunched over and the hat was blocking its golden eyes. Blood dripped from the wounds Blake and Marcus made on the face and shoulder respectively. His head swung up to look towards us and we could see what used to be yellow lighting up the shade beneath the hat and was now replaced by bright green. The wind started to feel thick around the field that made breathing feel difficult momentarily.

I noticed that he had a hold of Blake's foot and it as preventing him from moving away. Steiner realized this as well and had run in with his sword, prompting the salesman to crawl desperately back to safety. The fallen black magic user jumped back to avoid this, his hand now holding his staff again. His stare was directed at me and proved to be more intense than the one earlier. He took one step, still awkward and unnatural and was accompanied by a guttural groan.

"Why won't you stay down!?" Steiner demanded, readying his blade once more.

"This…This isn't supposed to happen…" Blake muttered once he has put us between him and the monster that he thought was already dead.

Marcus brandished his own sword and nodded to Steiner. "He packs a good punch so I hope it's alright I fight with you until this thing is really dead."

Their agreement was punctuated by a grating scream as the formerly dead Black Waltz pointed his staff at us, a fiery energy gathering at the golden end. Blake and I retreated inside the cable car while the two swordsmen separated to different sides to evade the fireball that missed and impacted against the vehicle.

I peeked out and granted them protection with Shell just as they are about to lunge at the winged magician. Both are stopped by a pillar of flame appearing in front of them. Good thing they were able to stop just before it could burn them, however their hesitation made them vulnerable when the Black Waltz hit them with slabs of ice. Steiner tried to shake it off with his armor and ran in again, but his opponent saw it coming and went for a wall of ice just as the knight was swinging. Steiner expected it and dropped the feigned swing to slide to the side of the wall. His opportunity was stopped when the staff came out to meet him and connected with his neck with such speed he was not able to react in time to stop it.

As I was trying to focus my white magic on the knocked down knight, the thief approached from behind, only for the Black Waltz to turn and smash the ice wall he had made earlier, sending shards of it flying towards him. He was forced to put up his arms to block the projectiles, only to have his lower half frozen in place with a Blizzard spell. The damaged spell caster approached with his staff burning with Fire magic and was about to fry the thief when Steiner stabbed his leg while he was on the ground.

A mangled cry came from the mage as he fell on one knee. Steiner picked himself off the ground and sliced at the enemy's shoulder, the same one Marcus had cut into earlier. He completely lopped off the limb with one mighty swing, eliciting another scream from the monster. This, however, didn't seem to slow him down as he wings creaked and flapped as he suddenly rose on his feet once more and caught Steiner with a Fira. It sent him flying into the cable car door and made a massive dent on the interior wall.

In the midst of the explosion, the Black Waltz walked out of it with his green eyes glaring at me once again, the fury burning in them more powerful than before as he started to limp towards me.

It all seems so surreal. The Black Waltz had been defeated twice already and all seemed to do is give him more power with each time we beat him at the cost of his wellbeing. His tenacity would be commended if he had other goals. Even in his broken state, he seemed to have more control of his magic compared to a few minutes ago when he was just all over the place. Now his magic usage is more direct, more carefully managed and executed.

My eyes goes to my fallen knight. I run over and urge him to move, only to get a pained groan from his unconscious frame. The rest of the passengers start to panic when the Black Waltz takes his first step through the doorway. I could see Marcus still struggling outside with the ice around his legs. Blake was hidden in between the seats with Nero mumbling about murder as the mage takes another step.

With no idea how to take down the Black Waltz, I cast Cure on Steiner in the hopes of it willing him awake. Alas, he stays still on the ground as the now green-eyed monster gets closer, his staff extended and directed at me. He cannot take me away!

In a fit of stubborn desperation, I ducked under his staff and started hitting him with my Rod. Unsure if it was doing anything to him, I did not stop my attack until his staff simply flicked me backwards. I tried another attempt at my offensive charge as I dodged his staff again. This time I managed to connect my Rod with his face quite a few times.

As courageous my attempt to fight is, the Black Waltz seemed to shrug off my attacks as he looks down on me with those menacing eyes, the sound of his staff dropping to the ground only gave me an added fright instead of confidence. My Rod is stopped in the middle of its swing with his remaining hand and was tossed away. Then he grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up.

In my desperation I could only try kicking and squirming as he turns around and carries me to exit the cable car, stumbling with whatever remaining energy he had left. I could barely see Steiner still laying on the ground and the frightened passengers looking on in horror. My eyes meets Blake's one step before we were outside. I could see the hesitation written all over his face. Seeing the thing that broke him and almost killed him still walking despite the punishment it had already suffered surely affected him to the point of shock. Perhaps he knew what would happen if he were to oppose the Black Waltz once again.

Looking into those eyes, I realized something in this creature had changed. His eyes were a given, but I should have noticed this from the way he was acting. All the Black Waltz had when he found us here was his mission directive, to take me back to the castle. He constantly repeated that as he fought, yet after he rose for the second time he had yet to say them. Whatever had made this change it felt it wasn't right.

"Hey, let go of her!" Marcus hollered as he hacked on the ice around his legs. "You want a fight then come over here and fight me! No one's leaving unless I'm lying in a heap on the ground!" His words got the black magic user's attention as he dropped me and then secured me against the ground with a boot straining against my throat. As if Marcus' current dilemma was bad enough, the Black Waltz raised his remaining hand and summoned his magic power.

Then he was forced to stumble off me when something pushed him forwards, almost sending the winged creature to his knees. I had managed to take in a breath, only to stare dumbfounded at the person who came to my rescue. The sight of Blake holding his dagger into the back of our enemy surprised me.

"No one's going to be eliminated today except for you!" He dug the blade deeper and twisted it, causing the thing he stabbed to growl and claw at him.

Blake and I moved out of his wild swipes. He was barely able to dodge as he fell back on his backside after being so close to being grabbed, slipping between the Black Waltz's legs and then jumped on his back, almost similar to his previous ploy on the cargo ship. He wrapped his sling arm around the monster's neck to support and hold him close while he stabbed at him with his good hand.

While this was happening, I retrieved my Rod from the cable car with the intention of helping Marcus break out of the ice. As I was leaving, I noticed Steiner starting to stir. Since he is about to join in on the fight and I had used my white magic on him earlier, my focus had to be directed to the disabled thief outside. Both of us chipped away at the ice and it proved to improve our chances as his knees have been freed. A few more hits and he would be able to fight again.

I look over to Blake and see him struggling to keep on the Black Waltz's back. He was being swung around in an attempt to get him off. When that didn't work his only arm tried to wrench him off. The injured teenager shouted an obscenity when he was pulled away from his perch. In an act of defiance, he stabbed the monster in the chest once more. He was thrown towards the cable car and hit the recovering Steiner the moment he stepped out, his dagger still impaled on the monster.

He was walking our way now with blatant disregard to his overwhelming injuries. With one more whack from my Rod, the remaining ice around Marcus' shins cracked and shattered, releasing him and finally granting him the ability to move around again. He did not hesitate in charging at Black Waltz No. 3 with his sword in hand as I directed my white magic around him in the form of Shell.

The wounded magician tried to impale him with tall spikes of ice, only for each attempt to miss when the crafty thief jumped, rolled, and dived out of the way as he got closer. However, his tactics were used to trap him as the spikes had surrounded him with the Black Waltz having a direct line of sight on him and the only way out was towards and away from the winged menace. He tried to go straight at him, but his efforts were met with Fire spells.

Marcus may be able to block one or two with the help of my Shell magic, but the human body can only take so much even with the help of magic before it gives out. It took one direct Fira spell and it knocked him back to me with my Shell barely able to protect him anymore. My attempt at healing him was met with a Thundara, both of us getting electrocuted until we lay crumpled on the ground.

Black Waltz No. 3 limped towards us until he stood over both of us. He slowly pulled out the dagger Blake put in his chest as he stared us down. The small bladed weapon shined with a green sheen as he wielded it. I tried to move away or take hold of my weapon to fight back, but he pushed his boot on my shoulder to keep me down. The sight of his green eyes staring me down and the dagger he is raising over his head made me realize that this might be the end. I knew the journey home would be perilous. As unexpected this confrontation was, I did not expect this to be the outcome.

"Stay away from her!" I heard Blake cry out.

"Princess!" Steiner's voice call.

But it did not matter. The dagger was already on a collision course with my heart. To think I had used the name Dagger, only for it to be the weapon that would bring my demise…

The small blade stopped in its downward arc when a yellow light enveloped the Black Waltz's forearm, holding him back from completing the action. The light started to fade and bring about a clearer image. Chains started to take its place, ones that were surrounded by a yellow glow. They snaked around the arm and had a direct source. My eyes followed where the chains would lead and they widened when I had spotted the one responsible for the timely interference.

Black Skylark. He had his good hand stretched out where the chains were also loosely wrapped around. The boy looked as shocked as everyone present, yet he had this completely mystified look as he tried to let this image sink in.

However, Marcus didn't wait for everyone else to recover as he swung his sword and hacked at the raised arm of the Black Waltz. It forced him to drop the dagger and left him open to attack as he stumbled away from the sight of the sword. The sight of the fight continuing urged Steiner to finally move. He approached from behind and directed his sword to cut through the hat and into the skull. To further make sure he would stay down for the count, Marcus stabbed the Black Waltz through where the heart should be.

With both swords implanted in various body parts, Black Waltz No. 3 started to twitch uncontrollably. It took a few intense seconds but eventually he had fallen limp from all the damage he had accrued. The light in his eyes dimmed as he slowly fell to the ground once more after the two swordsmen pulled their weapons away. Is he finally dead?

It took a while for the four of us to recover from what had just transpired, but Marcus eventually made the decision to break the silence first. "Anyone have some fire so we can cremate this thing for good?"

We tried to wait around the body of Black Waltz No. 3 with our weapons ready in case he would rise and fight again. After much prodding and waiting though we were sure that he would not make another move. I checked with Steiner and Marcus to see if they were seriously wounded. Both of them were hurt and would need some rest before we continue our journey to Treno. Marcus can decide if he wants to allow me to help him later. Making sure we're ready to travel takes precedence.

As I was healing their wounds, they got into a short argument about the black mages that had attacked Burmecia. Steiner, ever the devout and loyal knight he is, denied that Alexandria would be behind those dreadful attacks. But I knew better. I had to tell him the clues we've already encountered plus her strange meetings with that silver-haired man in the castle along with the underground facility in Dali and the mission directives of the Black Waltzes. He may act ignorant of these facts, however I could see how knowing such things are putting a strain to his beliefs.

When I approached Blake to check with his condition he clearly has yet to recover from what he had just done. If anyone was to ask me, I would not have expected Blake to have abilities like that. Apparently, with how he was staring at his hand, he did not expect it either. When asked if he felt sore or wounded he could barely shake his head as he continued to stare at his hand.

I would have continued to talk with him if it wasn't for the commotion happening inside the cable car. Steiner was already inside trying to make sure if the vehicle was still functional, however he was met with a different problem.

They had figured out my true identity and had a number of reactions about it. The part-time worker was shocked to see me here in person instead of inside the kingdom. The mechanic was weary, possibly having the Burmecian attack rumors in mind. The conductor was relieved to see me safe after that terrifying fight. And the man with white hair sat there silent and blissfully ignorant of what had just happened. Perhaps it was for the best to forget that had happened.

My attempts of assuring them that they were safe and that I was only traveling to get back to Alexandria was met positively by the majority. I requested of them to keep my being here a secret.

"I mean that's pretty much all we can do after you helped save us from that thing!" The part-time worker voiced her opinion of the matter.

The mechanic shook his head. "What if this wasn't a coincidence? That black mage was clearly after her. We wouldn't have been attacked if she wasn't here."

"True, but we're still here, right? None of us died because of the princess and her friends." The conductor argued. That had the mechanic at a loss.

Our eyes then went over to the other passenger when he stood up. He had been quiet all this time until he turned around and presented himself with a bow. "I am grateful that we were rescued from such a predicament. We may have heard stories of Alexandria getting ready for war, but we should focus on the present moment. I would be willing to keep silent about your presence here, your highness." The white-haired man's words had the others agreeing with him.

Any issue regarding our presence here was dropped after that. We managed to get the cable car going again and finally continued down the summit. I sat with Blake, who was holding Nero as close as he can in a comforting fashion. Perhaps after a fight like that he wanted to find some comfort and the feeling of a chocobo's feathers was comforting to him. I can't blame him. Nero enjoyed the attention as he gently chirped and nuzzled into him.

"Sorry. I'm still a bit shaken up after that." Blake said, adjusting his sling a bit. "I thought he would've been dead long before I stabbed him. Steiner and Marcus made it look easy when they dispatched the Black Waltz the first time."

"They are very skilled. However, I wanted to know how you were able to do what you did back there." I wanted to be direct and straight to the point while the memory is still fresh in his mind.

He then looked down to his hand. "It's not me who did it. It's this thing." He lifted it and presented the armguard. "I think that only happened because I had this on."

I leaned forward to examine the piece of armor he had on his left hand. Compared to the other armor pieces strapped to his body, this one looked more unique and battle-worn. The indentations and symbols would likely be from a text I've never seen, making me wonder if it meant anything. Then that made me think about how he got this armguard. Perhaps from a client of his?

"I clearly have no idea what this thing can do. I just thought it was just some armor I can use. Now that it has some weird magic abilities, I need to figure out how to do them. Might be useful in a fight." He then put it down and sighed. "If only that woman told me it had powers…"

That last part caught me off-guard with how mumbled it was. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" He quickly answered before going back to his own devices like stroking Nero's feathers and feeding him a gysahl pickle.

Our trip down to the opposite side of the South Gate mountainside continued on in a quiet and serene pace. A widely accepted change after our ferocious battle. Steiner continued to keep an eye on me as I tried to convince Marcus to help him with his goal to obtain Supersoft. Blake managed to nod himself to sleep with Nero comfortably sitting on his lap. For now we will be able to rest for the next part of our journey, despite how short the remainder of the trip down the mountain seems to be. We need this reprieve if that confrontation was any indication.

Treno is only a few hours away from the end of the cable car's route. We might be able to reach the city before night falls if we can manage a good pace after departing the station. We may have been caught unprepared by the return of the Black Waltz, but this should help remind us that we're not safe yet until we reach Alexandria. Hopefully we would not meet any more surprises like him.

Making my first step into Treno is exciting in of itself since I have yet to visit it. I've only read about it in some encyclopedias I have. Perhaps I may find some pleasing sights in the Dark City, some beautiful architecture or find myself enjoying an adventure with Marcus to find this Supersoft he is looking for. I can hardly wait!


	30. How To Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alyssa and Blake both learn they can use specific magical abilities. This is how they learn how to start using it.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 29: How to Magic

\- Blake -

"Ready to move, kid?" I look up to see Marcus, looking ready to go.

"Might as well since Nero's been itching to run around now." I answer while Nero was jumping on my legs, flapping his small wings all the while. Marcus didn't look convinced by it but didn't argue. The less talking we had, the faster we can get to Treno.

We took a longer break right after we departed from the cable car. Our ride here had already left a few minutes ago, going up the mountain as per its usual schedule. The other passengers had gone on to do whatever it is they do while we stayed behind at the station for a good fifteen minutes to rest. My sleep in the cable car was barely enough so I appreciated the break before going off.

The two of us approached Steiner and Dagger, the latter inspecting this commemorative plaque by the road before it divides into two directions and the former, always so attentive, watched us come over with that ever so suspicious look he gives us. Can he just give it a rest already? We've fought together, survived a bunch of things together. The least he can do is trust to not do anything illegal around them or to the princess.

Well…probably trust Marcus more in terms of the second action.

I looked over Dagger's shoulder and read what the plaque said. "No amount of hardship can tear our two countries apart. – 11th Regent of Lindblum, Cid VIII."

"The Berkmea cable cars were built to commemorate the 20th anniversary of friendship between Lindblum and Alexandria." Dagger finished.

"Unless you count war, even though they're not warring with each other. So at least they're still friends right now" I comment. The tired glance I felt from the princess shut up any other comment I had about the whole subject. When she's turned her back and told us that we're taking the right side of the divided road, I could not help but look at her and make a conclusion I've didn't want to admit.

I've finally realized that I can't kill Dagger.

That was the thought circling my mind a few minutes after we took down Black Waltz No. 3 once and for all. Persistent bastard that guy. Even after I had slept for a short while for the remainder of the ride down the mountain my mind had wandered back to this dark thought. Is it even still dark if you're thinking about not doing a dark act? I know I've been struggling on finding the right time and place to do it. Whether when she had her back to me or when we're having a little talk during the night or when presented with a brief opportunity where she's vulnerable, weak but resourceful Blake Skylark cannot get it over with. Time and time again I just can't pull the trigger and kill the princess.

Then that cruel and broken monster came stumbling in like I knew it would. Even though it had been damaged to the point it can't coherently talk about other interesting things, I didn't like being in its vicinity and line of sight when it can still burn or freeze or electrocute me. So I let the others fight it off, thinking that this boss fight would be fairly simple. But things aren't as simple as it seems according my current experiences in this world.

For some reason, the Black Waltz came at them harder, stronger than it did after it was beaten the second time. Both Steiner and Marcus took care of it pretty well in the first phase of the fight, but it definitely turned the tables right after it was done playing dead. Rising from the dead is a very alerting occurrence, but it was what I saw right after it had started fighting back.

Its yellow eyes were replaced with green.

Black mages in Gaia are well known, or will be known, with their terrifying yellow gaze. When Black Waltz No. 3 looked down on us with a pair of green eyes it had reminded me of one instance I had seen that particular intense stare. That was when we were at the climax of the Festival of the Hunt, when the Zaghnol had fought back with a different level of ferocity that resulted in my victory being stolen just as I had it in my hands.

Right when it was happening again, I wasn't wondering about the why's and how's. All I had in mind was how I could use this to my advantage. Outside the cable car wreaking havoc was a destructive and murderous black magician obsessed with fulfilling its mission because of an impairment after crashing into South Gate. It could kill everyone out there. It would basically solve my problem without having me lift a finger.

Call me cruel for being an opportunist, but there was a solution to my problem staring everyone in the face and it was telling me to use it. Call it fate that this happened to me twice in a row, only this time it gave me a way out. Finally I get to go home.

But when it walked into the cable car and grabbed Dagger by the throat, I started to second guess myself. The look of fear on Dagger's face as the Black Waltz started to limp out of the train and carry her out of there hit me harder than I expected. As she clawed and struggled out of it, seeing her be thrown down and stomped was the last sight my brain took in before I had taken action. Maybe it was because I hated the Black Waltz so much I didn't want him to do my dirty work or I remembered the treatment Andrew got back then.

That was when I realized the decision I had to make. The reason didn't matter. I can't stay on the sidelines and watch her die.

It's just not right.

Now I don't really know how to react to all. I rescued the person I was supposed to kill so that I can have a chance at getting back home, but I did a good thing, right? That should balance things out. Though it doesn't feel satisfying…

Another thing that wasn't satisfying is bumping into a big suit of armor, which Steiner didn't appreciate. He had the Gate Pass in his hands and was holding it to the man in front of him, another guard doing his job as the others presented theirs.

The day couldn't get any longer and I'm sure it'll only prove to be more eventful later on form what I remember. With the amount of moving, walking, and fighting I've been through in just one day I would have already collapsed the moment I see anything close to comfortable. It is going to be a few hours from this guarded gate to the city gates of Treno and there are sure to be small encounters with various creatures of the Mist blocking our way. In a way, I was looking forward to at least one fight with a group of monsters.

Don't get me wrong, fighting monsters in random encounters are as tedious as fighting them right now. But that's not why I'm looking forward to it. It's just a stage for me to actually try something.

Another thing I realized in that fight with the Black Waltz is that Meguro has a weird way of giving gifts. First that dagger lined with poison to help with the Zaghnol. Sure I got cut with it and that's my fault, but with it I came close to actually killing it. The second gift was more of a surprise than the first because it looked like an ordinary piece of armor. Though it stands out because of how different it looks from the rest of the simply collection I'm using right now. This one had something more useful than poison.

The arm guard Meguro gave me started giving out a Tron-like glow through its edges and had wrapped my hand with chains as well, as if becoming the source of it right before it stopped the Black Waltz from killing anyone. I didn't know it would do that. Hell, I don't even know how a simple-looking thing would give me magic chains. Well, I'm assuming they are magic anyway since it wasn't there when the arm guard wasn't glowing. Because of that, I wanted to know how I can get it to replicate that effect again.

During the brief time we spent resting at our cable car's drop-off point I tried to get it to work by doing various things. Pointing my arm to anything I want to wrap in chains with various hand signs ranging from open palm to close fists to any combination of finger pointing. Then I tried using words since I was shouting something when it happened. When that didn't work I thought maybe it was how I delivered the word, so I tried various ranges of volume and emphasis to make it work.

Suffice to say, nothing I tried out did not work. The only thing I was able to accomplish was looking crazy, stupid, or both.

So that's why I am looking forward to fighting a monster out here in the Mist-covered field. Perhaps it would be the feeling of being in danger that would help activate this thing. Besides, I might finally be able to add something to our little group of fighters, as well as the entire group in the future when we get back together.

Eventually, we were allowed to pass and the drawbridge blocking us off from the fields leading to Treno was dropped down. All of us walked at a cautious and brisk pace, knowing that night would surely come if we were too careful that it would slow us down. After being so relaxed in the cable car and then being attacked by the lack Waltz probably got to the others a bit more tense than usual when it comes to these quiet times. Steiner was guiltier of this, sticking closer to the princess than ever.

It took minutes for a group of monsters to notice us when a trio of Trick Sparrows swooped down on us. Steiner was the first to see them coming and alerted us, making us scatter to avoid their attacks. We grouped up again when they proved to be too far to reach. As we were waiting for the right time to strike, the idea of testing out the arm guard's abilities came to mind. If I can get this thing to work then I'd be able to pull one of them down and make it easier on us to kill them one at a time.

"What are you doing?" Marcus demands once he sees me waving my hand at the sky.

"What does it look like? I'm trying to make this thing work." I say through gritted teeth as I continue my attempt. When that doesn't work, I thrust my hand towards the now quickly descending Trick Sparrows in the hopes the chains would come out. A second later, no chains and the Sparrows were closer.

The Sparrows were wounded on the second go-around by our swordsmen and easily dispatched soon after. The arm guard did not work in a possibly dangerous encounter. Okay, let's not get discouraged. I spent fifteen minutes making a fool of myself earlier and this is just the first fight anyway. There's bound to be another monster or two to step up and try to eat us. It's too early to call this a waste.

A handful of Pythons slithered into view and wanted us for a snack. We were outnumbered. Usually that wouldn't matter because we had Vivi and at least three other people capable of eliminating these things before things got hairy. Unfortunately, we didn't have our friendly black mage and only half of our team could fit into the latter description. Still it wasn't too bad.

Our formation was basically screwed when they immediately went for Nero. I basically scooped up the little guy and ran, prompting those monsters to chase me. When Dagger bopped one of them in the head hard enough to make it curl into a ball they refocused on her instead. Steiner made sure most of them regretted that decision while Marcus tried deal with those who didn't. I stuck close to the princess so I was also in Steiner's protection while I tried to bring the magic chains out.

Shouting supposed keywords or any improvised incantation didn't work. Combining those with the various hand signs and motions I haven't tried out earlier also had the same result. I sighed and glared at the arm guard for its lack of teamwork.

And because of my inattentiveness, I had left myself open to headbutt in the chest while Dagger was healing a preoccupied Steiner and Marcus. These Pythons really have a hard head! I kept Nero safe and close before rolling out of the Python's open jaw trying to take a bite out of us. When it was trying to pull its teeth out of the ground, I stabbed it in the head twice before retreating to the side Steiner.

"Can you stop it with your ridiculous antics and stay focused?" Steiner told me as soon as he cut another Python.

"If you have a guide for making magic items work then tell me. If not, mind your own business and do your damn job and defend us!" I argued. He definitely did not appreciate the jab and went to exert that anger in the next Python that came his way.

The Pythons went down eventually. Once the fight was settled I felt the captain giving me a hard look before he continued to lead us towards Treno. To be fair I'm internally giving myself the same look, imagine how that's possible if you will, for not being able to get this thing to work. At least Dagger didn't share the same sentiment by patting me on the shoulder. Marcus was all in all more neutral, which was better than nothing.

My next attempt came at the most surprising encounter when we started hearing voices. I thought I was letting myself go overboard with my tendency to talk out loud, but when I was sure I had shut my mouth for a good minute that got me a bit worried. I was the first to draw my weapon out and look around. Since I was at the back of the group I thought something with the ability to mess with my mind was behind me. That wasn't it. It was actually from the ground. The moment I turned around, something pale and ghastly rose from the ground.

A voice echoed into the valley as I ran behind Dagger. With the rest of the group now alerted, the mere sight of the creature had them taking out their weapons, however combat was never initiated.

Both parties stared at the other until Marcus spoke up. "It's not attacking."

"Yeah, I can see that. Let's take our chances and attack it instead." I tried to convince them to lead the assault. They looked back at the creature and saw this unassuming expression and a hand held out.

"Is this what scared you, Blake?" Dagger asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I didn't take you as someone afraid of Ghosts."

"N-No! I was threatened!" I always hate it when things do that. You know, when you turn around and something's suddenly in your face. Who wouldn't be caught off-guard by that?

Dagger was not satisfied with my answer and chose to humor the Ghost. While she was trying to make conversation with it, I tried to give it a taste of its own medicine by scaring it with magical chains. Despite it being a very petty reason, my arm guard proved to be the better man (or thing) when it did not activate and only proved to make me bitter when the Ghost left without its request of Ore being met. One short explanation from Dagger according to what she got, we were back on track to the Dark City.

Everything I was doing is not working. It has been an hour since we left the cable car station and my lack of progress was starting to get to me. If I can't make it work then I need some advice. Where else can I get it but from the other person in our group who can use magic.

"You want to know how I started to use my white magic?" She repeats the question, to which I nod. "Well when I realized I could use it, no book or person was able to tell me how to control it at first. It was a struggle to understand it. Because of that lack of understanding, it took me weeks to know if I'm using it or not. After those confusing weeks, I hit my head rather hard after hurrying to go back to my room once an exhausting lecture with Doctor Tot ended. I was bleeding on this side of my head," she pointed to the left of her forehead, "and I panicked when I saw it. I wished it would go away before anyone could see it. Then this warm feeling came over that particular spot. When I opened my eyes, the cut had stopped bleeding. It was like it wasn't there anymore."

I guess all that lineage and royalty can't buy her expertise with white magic. Had to learn it the hard way. But despite all that I try to let her tale sink in as I tried to examine the arm guard. I don't exactly remember what it felt like when it happened. Though I did feel a bit relieved that I was able to stop a murder instead of causing one.

Then Dagger concluded her story with this tidbit. "Once I understood what my magic could do, it got easier for me to draw it out. You have it much easier, Blake. You know what your magic can do while I toiled for weeks trying to figure out its properties. Just try to focus on what you saw it did during the fight, try to center and hone that feeling you got when it happened, and it should answer your call."

"Yeah. What's so hard with getting those chains out? They bind something and stop them from moving." Marcus added from our side.

Dagger's right. I know what it does so that tell me what I can do with it. All I need to do is focus on just bringing it out. No complicated incantations, no special motions, and no announcements. Besides, if I have to announce I'm using it then it's going to ruin any advantage I can get with it if they see me do it the first time.

Hmm…Bind something…Well, it sure did grab on the Black Waltz's arm and stopped him dead. 'Bind' sounds like a lame Pokemon move though, yet is simple and easy to say. If I get it work I'll rename it something better, but Bind is as good as a name for it gets.

As if fate wants me to prove I can use this thing, this massive creature crawled up the side of the mountain and jumped in front of us. A Carve Spider snapped its maw before trying to strike all of us with its long, blackened insect leg. We all hit the deck as it swung over our heads just in time to dodge, except for Nero who was too low on the ground and just simply retreated to my side with a panicked tweet. Each of us scattered around the big spider as we tried to assess the situation. It circled around to see which one of us it would want for its meal first.

Good thing he went for the bandana-sporting thief first so I could have a chance in getting this arm guard's magic chains out. Okay, let's try to follow what Dagger advised earlier. Think of what it did the first time and imagine it happening. Chains wrapping around limbs and stopping movement. Focus on it until I could feel it…

"Any luck with the magic?" I could hear Dagger through my attempts at concentrating on my magic.

"Adding pressure is not helping, princess." I hissed as I tried to focus. Come on and answer my call, damn it…

"It would sure be quite handy if it works now—look out!" She pulls me to the side just as Steiner intercepted the spider's antenna.

Once again I proved to be more of a nuisance in these fights than useful while Marcus flanked the monster and separated two of its legs from its body. Steiner connected with the killing blow with a mighty stab to where its mouth should be. The Carve Spider collapsed to the ground and the fight ended for the better. We might've ended up with a longer one if it had started spewing web everywhere.

I sighed at the arm guard as everyone checked for wounds or bruises before continuing our walk again. I could only try so much before I want to throw this thing to the ground. Good thing it's only been an hour of total attempts ending in disappointment. Let's just hope the disappointment doesn't become actual frustration and end with me thrashing the arm guard.

Even as we silently made our way to the City of Nobles, Dagger felt I needed more encouragement by patting me on the back. 'Nice try. Next time it'll work,' is what I got from that. I sure hope it does. We have some ground to cover before we reach the city so there should be more attempts I can make.

\- Alyssa -

The pain was unbearable. I was in and out of consciousness a few time and the pain made it almost impossible to move. My arms and legs didn't want to cooperate, my chest felt like everything was coming out of it drip by drip, and I could barely breathe. If there was any consolation in lying in a wet floor with rain continuously coming down on me it was that everything was so cold and somewhat comforting. Probably comforting in a way that I can still feel the droplets hitting my skin and the water gathering underneath me.

Queen Brahne and her lackeys had been gone for some time now. They left God-knows-when and they just left us here to lick our wounds. Not as fun when you literally can't do that. She's gotta be in her Red Rose airship flying home, drying off from this rain, and thinking of a way to continue her unnecessary war. At least she got a front-row seat to the hell she brought on to a city that didn't do her any wrong.

If only I put up more of a fight…

"Al…sa…you…to…wake up!" I could someone speaking, but I could barely rely on my hearing since I can't move. Everything else sounded muffled and muted.

Goddamn it, why did I have to be so stupid!? I made two massively dumb decisions in one day and it nearly killed me. If only I thought things through then maybe things wouldn't have ended up the way they did. Maybe if someone was by my side when I fought Ellison I probably wouldn't have ended up so battered and cut up. If I hadn't stepped up to Beatrix then I wouldn't be this near to death. I knew she'd be strong yet I had the gall to challenge her when I knew I'd be no match.

What-ifs and could-haves. Everything that happened because I thought I could do it. Believing you can do something is very different from actually doing it. That I know now.

Cold hands touch my shoulders, turning me over and shaking me. I could barely open get my eyes to open, but I did get a glimpse of blond hair blocking the moonlight above. He was talking and no sound was coming out of his mouth. His arm brings out a small object I couldn't see. A second later I feel something touching my lips.

"Drink…" A voice pleaded. It was calming, yet it sounded hurried. Next thing I knew something colder than the rain dripped into my mouth and down my throat. The icy feeling spread throughout my body as it eased every part of my body. It made breathing and moving easier when I tried to lift my hand.

A hand covered in cloth took mine, making me turn my head slightly to it. A pair of yellow eyes looked back at me. Vivi. Seeing him alright was relaxing to say the least. "How do you feel?"

"That general is fucking mean." I hissed. His eyes brightened when he heard me answer, like he was relieved when I spoke, despite the swear word. He probably doesn't know much about swear words considering the lesson Zidane gave Dagger in Dali. Someone else found it funny as a chuckle to my right caught my attention.

"Not only her. That other guy put a lot of wounds on you as well." It was Zidane. "Here, drink the rest of the elixir." He took one of my hands and put the vial into it. So that's what that cold thing is.

"Glad to see that you're still breathing," Freya spoke up from behind him. She looked definitely banged up since she was propped up against her own spear, but tried to hide it. "We were worried when you didn't respond at first. To think we might have lost a comrade…"

I could see Quina leaning above me with her tongue dangling out of her mouth, her mouth curved into what looked like a smile. "No munchies in mansion, but I no eat if girl dying."

It took me a while to notice that he got me propped up against him so I could drink that vial properly. Trying to get up was harder than I thought it would be when I almost stumbled back down to the ground. Fortunately, Vivi and Zidane caught me and helped me to my feet.

"If you don't feel like it then don't overdo it, alright?" Zidane told me. "You're cut up in a few places and that last gasp you had against Beatrix didn't help your condition."

My eyes lower and see the amount of red I have on my clothes. There was a giant spot of red on my chest with a burnt mark going down, my forearms suffered many cuts that were now closed by the power of the elixir, and my left leg had a cut where Ellison stabbed his knife in. All of them were caused by my recklessness. Everyone else looked better in comparison, almost pristine if I were to stand beside them. They may have gotten the shit kicked out of them by Beatrix, but at least they can walk.

"Sorry for making you guys worry." I couldn't help but apologize.

I could see Quina shake her head when she heard me. "Girl try her best. Not smart though." Quina dropping mad criticism on me. She's not wrong though.

"Just don't push yourself too hard." Vivi said, putting my hand on something. It was my sword. It got lost during the struggle with Ellison, that mysterious gun-toting, knife-throwing jerk. I wish I had gotten more info from him than just his name, that he wasn't supposed to kill me, that he was 'in the same boat as me', and that he has a boss that isn't Kuja. I'll try to make sense of what he said later when I'm feeling warmer and better.

"The elixir may have taken care of your wounds, but it looks like your condition is worse than all of us. It would be best if you took it easy for a while." Freya said, hefting her spear in an attempt to make sure her movement would not be hindered by the beating Beatrix put on her.

As I was trying to see if I can walk without being helped, it didn't take the others any convincing as to where we were going next. West of the eternally wet city is the Vube Desert where another city with an eternal storm, this time of the sand variety, is located. Some of the survivors of this attack retreated there or sought to find a much safer place that is farther from this place. Burmecians sure love natural weather by the looks of it.

Everyone was still willing to head out to Cleyra even after what had just happened as well as seeing as to what kind of destruction Alexandria can do. We still wanted to stop them from wiping out the Burmecians, Freya more so than us, but we still wanted to help.

When the topic of Dagger came up, Zidane realized that the person he was looking for wasn't here. That didn't mean he gave out hope in finding her. I would hate to break it to Zidane that he's looking for love in literally the wrong places. Still he's as positive as ever, saying that we'll find her soon. But I could tell that he's worried and anxious to find her. Everything should be fine if Blake intends to follow his own rule of not changing any plot-heavy events.

Walking through the rain, with Vivi helping me out due my left leg being numb for a while, as we made our way out of the city was a somber experience. Seeing the remains of the city after the attack as well as the bodies of Freya's fellow Burmecians who fought against the attackers wasn't very comforting for her. She's probably thinking that she failed protecting them, unable to fulfill her role as a dragon knight. Zidane tried to cheer her up and she appreciated the effort, yet she was still laser-focused on completing her duty. The fight wasn't over.

Leaving the city was easy since we had no opposition waiting for us within Burmecia's walls. All of Alexandria's forces had left the city when they learned the king wasn't here. Venturing outside the city's walls in our current condition was a different story. We had only picked ourselves up and the monsters easily smelled the blood in the water. We decided that after three horrible attempts at fighting in our current state was a bad idea, so we retreated back to Burmecia, camped out in one of the abandoned houses, and started a small fire to get warmed up.

I wasn't able to get any sleep since I just woke up. Freya was keeping watch by one of the windows in case a monster of the Mist prowled close. Vivi and Quina were sleeping on the beds in the other room. Zidane was keeping close to the fire, cherishing the heat provided by our small campfire.

At least everyone is feeling better than before. My left leg is starting to feel better, though I'm a bit concerned that the elixir didn't heal all of it. Isn't it supposed to be one of the game's high healing items? All of my cuts and bruises were healed and only small marks remained from them. I elevated it while I'm resting thinking that it would be the same thing a doctor would tell me to do in this case. Not an expert though so I'm just assuming.

"Feeling better?" I hear Zidane ask. He wasn't that far from me since I'm lying down near the fire with my leg on a chair.

"Yeah, pretty much. Knowing that everyone's alright definitely helps too." I replied with chuckle, hoping it would keep our spirits high. "Wish that things ended up different though."

"Me too." He sighed, his breath lingering for a moment in the cold air before dispersing. "Picking a fight with them was a bad idea in hindsight, but what are we supposed to do? Confronting them was the least we can do for Burmecia."

"Maybe if I was with you guys we might've put a dent on Beatrix…"

I heard him move, leaning back until he was lying on his back on the floor, letting his semi-dry clothes meet the barren floor. "What's done is done. All we can hope for now is stop them from getting their hands on Cleyra."

That's the goal now. Defend the Burmecians, stop Cleyra from being destroyed. So far nothing from the primary story beats hasn't changed yet save for the details leading to them. Here I am hoping that I can get things rolling for things to change, and not just the minor type of change. There's still time. I can't just wait for Lindblum to pick up the pace. I've done what I could for them with the letter. Now it's just up to me to do what I can and roll with what I can manage.

"That other guy definitely put you in a worse condition than all of us combined. Guess he didn't pull any punches." Zidane's observation brought me back to our little room and modest fire.

I internally groaned at the reminder. "I was careless, thought I could take him on." Next time I won't be as careless now that I have a bit of experience fighting him head on. "Notes for the next time we see him: don't take him on one on one and it's better to fight him close and from a distance."

"So you got him alone. Did you get anything out of him? Like if they have anything else planned?"

"Finally got a name to fit with the jacket. Rayner Ellison." That man with the constant smug smile. Thinking about him irks me to no end and knowing that he cut me up and beat the living day lights out of me seriously leaves a sour taste in my mouth. "And no, he's very cryptic as his knives are sharp and as unhelpful as throwing gas into a forest fire."

To be honest, I don't know if I should even share what he told me in that fight. He said a few things that worries me more about his presence here. Back when we saw him Dali he was just a mystery. Now it definitely feels like he knows something. If Blake was here and he heard this instead of me, there's a big chance that he'll keep it to himself. But he did have a point about letting people know about what we really are. It would make things complicated if they ask questions when we don't have all the answers.

I opted not to tell Zidane about anything specific and just say that Ellison's either messing with me or is crazy. The last one not being hard to believe when he acts like a smug psychopath drawn to blood. I'll tell Zidane eventually when I'm sure I'll be able to answer him with facts.

"At least that's something. Better than nothing, I guess. We're going to get to the bottom of it whatever his deal is." Zidane assured me, his confidence in everything is admirable, which is something we need for our current tough spot.

"That's what's been in my mind. I feel like you have something in yours too. Wanna share?" You can have all the confidence in the world and still have worries too. That was pretty obvious with how Zidane was acting on our way out of town, looking at every alley and through any door we pass by while we were making our way through town before. He still has his eyes set out to find a specific person.

His eye gazes out the nearest window, past Freya and towards gray skies over the city. "Dagger. Can't help but wonder where she is."

"I'm sure she's in a safe place." As safe as her home could be right now, which isn't saying much if her eidolons are being pulled out of her at this moment. "Steiner is bound to be with her and you know nothing gets past him."

That gets him to chuckle. "Yeah. Rusty would attach himself to her hip if he can." That cheer falters a bit as he briefly closes his eyes. "She's out there somewhere. It would make me feel better if I knew she's okay."

I nodded, placing my gaze at our fire while trying to get some more feeling in my left leg. Hinting that Dagger might not be here and suggest that she went home might not calm the thief with his princess-related worries. To be fair it might be better to be caught up in the battlefield than willingly walk into a trap which might be disguised as home. I just opted to close my eyes for a bit more rest and hope we will be able to get to Cleyra without much of a problem.

\- Blake -

Night has arrived and we are somewhat tired of this long day we've had. Me more than the others.

I angrily chomped on the gysahl pickle I was sharing with Nero, stomping on the ground as the entrance gate of Treno looms ahead of us. We spent thirty minutes traveling from the encounter with the Carve Spider to here and between all of that my agitation with my inability to get the magic chains to work increased to the point I am ready to officially sign a formal declaration of surrender. I might as well put it in my satchel so I can no longer stare and be reminded of the disappointment I have in myself. But for now I'll be content with ignoring it until I get one more chance to use it.

There is also a good chance that Steiner and Marcus wants to drop me from this team like popular media conglomerate would if they find their employee being caught up in a scandal with my continued uselessness. I wouldn't blame them if they do though. I'd drop myself due to my own lack of magic prowess despite my lucky break earlier in the boss fight.

The guards on the other side wordlessly allowed us passage into the City, only sparing us some short stares before resuming their posts. Dagger is the first to approach the balcony overlooking most of the glorious city of nobles with Steiner ready to hold her back in case she falls over like an excited child. Marcus is more reserved, perhaps thinking about where to meet up for his Supersoft 'heist'. I wandered over to the left by the fountain with Nero following close by, taking a bite out of the pickle I had when he got close.

Whatever script they are supposed to follow now started to go by as I stared down at the fountain. A handful of gil coins stared back, the light off the nearest lamp post glistening slightly against the coins, as if to tell how many people had come by for a wish. I'd dump all the coins I have just to get this stupid magic arm guard working, but I know wishful thinking is only a small part of what makes anything work successfully.

As I let Nero finish up the pickle, I noticed that the two swordsmen were starting an argument and completely forgetting about the girl leading our group and even me. To be fair, I don't need to say anything here. Everyone goes on their own way for a while before meeting up again after letting the newbies see the town for themselves. From what I can recall, the left side leads to the locales nobles frequent with their homes apparently somewhere near that district. The right pathway should lead to the slums where everyone would eventually meet up. I think I'd stay away from—

"Nero!" A splash on my knee immediately made me stand up. The cause of it, a partially wet black feathered chocobo, stared back at me looking almost guilty. "Great, now we're both wet." Well, not that wet, but part of my pants is now wet nonetheless. The brief anger subsided as he continued to look up to me with an added head tilt. "Alright fine, relax in there. But I'm only allowing you because I'm tired and we've had a long day."

The chocobo chirped with glee as it frolicked inside the fountain, scattering water and coins in his wake. While he was having his fun, I decided to humor the fountain by dropping one coin in it while looking back Steiner. Now he was panicking with the absence of Dagger in the area. Marcus, on the other hand, couldn't care less and went off to take care of his own business.

My knee felt it was being tapped and I looked over to see Nero holding a coin in his beak. Not sure if that was the same one I dropped, but I took it back from him before he went back to having fun.

"Where did everyone go, captain?" I asked the confused knight, flicking the coin in my hand back to the fountain. "I know you're not very welcoming for leisurely company, but I hoped Dagger would've stayed despite that."

He marched over to me with a displeased look. "Where did she go!? You must've seen where she went before that bandit distracted me!"

"Not sure. I was too busy entertaining my pet here." I held out my hands in a shrug. A couple of people enter the town through the gate and my eyes meet with a familiar aged one hidden in a brown hood. She tapped her wrist before disappearing into the crowd, but I was too busy defending myself from Steiner's demands to care for Meguro's warning. And speaking of pet, Nero came back with another coin. "I don't think you know where these coins have, little guy." I put it back in the fountain after scolding him.

Steiner shook his hands in his signature frustrated way. "I cannot believe this. I look away for a fraction of a second and now she could be anywhere in this city."

"Yeah, that's rough. She could get into a lot of shenanigans like, oh I don't know, loitering into private property…"

"The princess knows the difference between private and public properties, you fool."

"But you do know that this town is known as the Dark City for a reason. Numerous people with ill intent walk the streets of Treno. Dagger might get robbed," Steiner clearly winced at the suggestion. "Kidnapped," The knight stiffened. "Or worse, killed."

"I MUST FIND HER!" He grabbed me by the collar and shook me. Then Nero once again came back with another coin. Not now, Nero!

"I'm gonna be honest with you, Steiner. I only joined up with you guys to get to Alexandria, not to be responsible for Dagger. She's a grown woman and she can handle herself. Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

"Robbery, kidnapping, murder! All you said earlier!"

"Emphasis on the might. I'd rather stay here and wait for Marcus' supposed heist to finish."

Another series of taps on my leg finally made me reach down and bring up the little chocobo to see what he wants. In his beak was a coin, but it looked very different from the ones most people would throw in the fountain. It's almost bigger, more like double the size of a regular gil coin. Both sides of it were inscribed with a logo that did not make any sense for me. I would have asked Steiner what he thought of it, but he was too busy pacing around ranting about my "inability to care for something so urgent".

Then I remembered something about the game. There's this side quest you can do all over the game locales that has the player collecting these coins for various prizes. You give them to a certain person here in Treno. If the general layout of the town is the same then I might be able to turn this over. This should be good for a nice amount of gil.

"Huh, great find, Nero. There's a treat in your future if I have the budget for it." He happily tweets once I put him down. Then I shift my focus over to the knight. "Look, Nero and I can hold down the fort here while you go and find where Dagger's run off to. Maybe once she and Marcus is done we can finally head to Alexandria."

"I can't let that two-bit criminal convince the princess to commit an actual crime! We must find her now!"

Ever the resilient and stubborn man. I ran my hand over my face and finally conceded since he was very adamant about this. "Fine! You want to go find her then we should split up. You take the nobles section of the city since she likes architecture," I point to the left pathway before looking at the other choice, "And I'll take the slums in case she finds herself there."

With an agreed plan of approach, we split up to cover more ground. The faster we can get everyone together, the faster we can get the Supersoft and get back on track. I lead Nero around as we passed some nobles admiring the scenery of the town and just plain chatting up a storm with their posh accents and expensive attires. There's still a bunch of guards standing close to the nobles, but that feeling of security seemed to falter the farther we move along this path.

Eventually the stone road we walked on started to be replaced by wooden planks and any trace of the nobles were replaced by the hustle and bustle of people in casual wear. They seemed to be giving me these weird looks as I quietly pass by. I hope they're not thinking I'm an easy target to rob since I have a disabled arm….

You know what, let's pick up the pace just in case they're considering mugging me.

Well, basically running as fast as I can didn't immediately get us out of the slums, even though I knew where Dagger would end up. I considered hiding out in the inn where everyone would meet up, and as much as I wanted to catch up on some rest, Nero didn't like being in the inn when I tried staying there.

Also, I picked up the other Stellazio near the item shop in the slums. It was a tiring affair with climbing up and down a ladder with only one hand and a chocobo in my arms. When I found the Stellazio, the symbol on it was very familiar, which made me realize it was similar in design to the Taurus sign. Let's just say I had a tendency to look up horoscopes a long time ago and seeing what it says about the Taurus symbol was a common occurrence.

I did stock up on items while I was there. I'm sure whatever I get for these Stellazios will net me more money for my budget. I went past the weapon shop and aimed straight for the auction house. I can get a new dagger later when majority of our group is together.

The auction house sure was themed to make it look lively with the handful of lights it had projecting from inside as well as the exterior lights it had on its bright blocky walls. It is almost like it was made to be an attraction despite the Tetra Master arena they have closer to the park. A pair of guards stood at the double-door entrance of the building, gladly opening it for me when I wandered to close. Not wanting to waste their efforts, I thanked them and stepped inside.

When the term 'auction house' comes into mind, one would think about fancy dresses and snappy tuxes, drinks and various appetizers being served occasionally, and everyone in the crowd chatting about being rich. That certainly applies to this setting, though save for the one detail that not everyone in the crowd is human. Still it's a pretty chill sight with the auction trying to sell of this pretty alluring robe and it is getting quite the bids for it.

I took a seat at the very last row since I planned on waiting for a while so I can see who comes in and out of the auction house. Just as I was placing Nero on the chair beside mine, I felt a tap on the shoulder. It came from one of the staff of the auction house, showing a tray filled with some finger food. He gave me one of those numbered signs as I was taking two for me and Nero, thinking that I was planning on bidding, before walking back to his post.

For the next five minutes I watched the crowd bid on various items. Some of them looked stylish and unique, others were a bit mystifying and probably worth collecting for those with big pockets and eccentric tastes. I'd bid too if I had the money, but the fact I don't have much to spend it here isn't something I'll lose sleep in any way. Nero was marching left and right through the rest of our set of chairs as I watched the bidders and took in the design of the auction house. I bet this place has a lot of fancy parties whenever they are not auctioning.

The doors opened and prompted me to look. I thought I would see the princess of Alexandria coming in, only to figure I was wrong and immediately turned away when it was Alexandria's enigmatic weapons dealer walking in. No one else seemed to notice him since everyone was focused on their new bidding prize. I sure hope Kuja didn't see me looking at him. I knew he would be here, but I didn't know he actually walks through that same door since he only appears in a balcony in the second floor. Having a conversation with him now is not in my to-do list for this reality.

Someone then touched my shoulder, just the lightest touch. Thinking it was the waiter bringing another platter of good appetizers, I turned to accept some. Only for my decision to be the worst when I see the man with silver hair I saw earlier standing there instead.

"It seems a new guest has wandered over to my stage." Kuja waved his hand forward, motioning to the crowd despite them not hearing us. Perhaps that's for the best. Even his whispering voice sounds so hammy.

"O-Oh, I'm not new. I think you're mistaken…" I tried to move away from his grasp, but even his faint touch was enough to keep me seated. His eyes finally look down on me, a sly grin gracing his expression.

"However, something in the air has made it known to me that you belong here. Whether you accept such a role is not your choice to make. Actors usually audition for it. But for you, it has chosen you instead."

I gulped. If that didn't sound ominous, despite the theatrical metaphor, I don't know what is. My silence proved to be more of a response than I anticipated as he giggled, stepping away towards one of the doors to the side.

"I would be careful if I were you. There are elements in play that you should not mess with." And with that he left through the door opened for him. I could only stare at the door, various thoughts running in my mind. What did he know about me? It seemed like there's something in his mind when he spoke. His words were like a warning, but for what exactly I don't know. Knowing that there's more to him than meets the eye, he has to be interested in something that I have if he's willing to speak like that. That thought just adds more questions though.

When I felt another hand rest on my shoulder after what had just happened, I bolted from one end of the row to the other while getting Nero into my arms. To think I'd react that way with the thought Kuja wanted to speak to me more was appropriate, however that was not the case when I realized it was Dagger. That appropriateness turned to embarrassment for my reaction.

"Blake, what are you doing here?" She asked in a hushed voice so she wouldn't interrupt the current bidding war.

"Looking for you." I answered, trying to hide the shame in my voice. I tried looking around to see if the mysterious madman was around, only to see no trace of him. "Steiner was worried where you ran off to. I wanted to relax, but he's so stubborn that I only agreed to get him off my back."

"And now he's somewhere out there most likely shouting his poor little head off to find me." She continued, pondering on what kind of scene Steiner is making as she took a seat by the aisle.

"I think that only applies to the people who have to listen to him." I joked while recovering from the shock and sat closer to her. "Don't worry about it. He's fine."

The princess takes my dismissal with a hum, clearly concerned about the knight trying to find her. Her gaze goes up and mine follows. We both see this silver-haired man on the balcony watching the auction, with the item up for grabs being a set of jewelry with various special stones. "So this must be an auction house…I see that you can bid."

"Oh, this? They gave it to me. I wish I could though with all the…interesting things they have. Unfortunately, have a limited budget since Lindblum."

"Have they put the Supersoft up for bidding before I got here?"

"I doubt they have it. Perhaps Marcus has the intel on it, so let's try to find him before we make any concrete decisions."

Good thing for her that concern didn't last when I heard the familiar clanking of armor right outside the door. The moment he came in and spotted Dagger talking to me, his reaction was to rush in and double check if she was okay. Such coddling almost made her blush and had to step away from her armored guardian. While she was trying to pacify Steiner's worries, my eyes happened to wander back to the balcony and it happened at the worst time when the silver-haired man met my gaze.

It only took a second for me to flinch, look away, and get closer to the two Alexandrians as they are finishing up what they want to do next. Since we were leaving anyway I just made it happen a lot faster by suggesting to go out and find the thief we were with. Let's just hope whatever Kuja said won't be a sign of things to come in the near future.

\- Alyssa -

_The darkness in the basement filled my senses. I could barely see anything around me. All I could feel is how cold the furniture stored down here is as I tried not to move or make a sound in my hiding spot. My little ears heard every single creak made by the floor above. Slow and steady steps, almost predatory, yet were deafening in the eerie silence of the night._

_Suddenly the steps thundered quickly, kind of like running across the floor. I closed my eyes, thinking of my mom before she sent me here. What if they found her!?_

_"Honey, I want you to be brave for me and hide downstairs, okay?" She held me in her arms for awhile before opening the door. "Hide and stay silent."_

_I don't remember how long it was when that happened. It's been a while. All I could think about was the people not welcome in the house running around upstairs. They can't find me here, but I don't want them to find mommy and daddy too._

_Their stomping and running soon stopped. Faint whimpering could be heard through the walls. What silenced them was a loud bang and a scream._

_The door to the basement suddenly shook. I crept deeper into my hiding spot as someone hit the door again, loosening it from the wall. Voices from the other side started to shout, their words muffled by attacks on the door. When it did give way, the light from the doorway was almost blinding. I put up my hand to shield my eyes from the light._

_A horrible laugh filled my head and the room got dark again. I look through my fingers and see a man standing in front of me, shadowed by the darkness. In one hand he has a knife, in the other a rifle. Just then I realize I wasn't hiding in my parents' basement anymore, but lying on my back in the King of Burmecia's mansion instead._

_"You had some fight in you, girlie. Save for the brief interference back there. But good hustle nonetheless." The man used to be covered in shadow, but as he got closer it became clear that the silhouette became Ellison Rayner._

_I could barely feel my body as I tried to crawl away, but it wouldn't obey me. Even my voice betrayed me. The closer he got, the more I could feel myself shake. His foot stepped on my ankle, holding me in place. When he expected a struggle and got none from me, his laugh reverberated throughout the building once again. As quick as lightning, his hand brings down the knife into my gut and a sharp, searing pain spreads through my body._

_He's going to kill me. I'm going to die here._

_Ellison stood up, leaving the knife in me as he reached behind him. "It's time for this little fight to end."_

_I didn't even have an opportunity to go for the knife when I heard a click. I look up and see the dark barrel of an old weapon staring me down in the face, its wielder smiling wickedly behind it._

_One second later, a horrendous BANG filled my senses._

I bolt up from my sleep, my hands holding on to the edges of a blanket I don't remember using before I went slept. It all felt so real. Feeling caught in that small space again like that time when I was younger that was almost suffocating and the knife digging into my skin. It's like the knife is still there. All the wounds I got from that fight started throbbing too to the point of it hurting when I move.

The sounds of rain pitter-pattering outside would have been calming if I wasn't sweating so much and out of breath. I let myself fall back, lying down on the floor of the abandoned Burmecian house. Trying to sleep now is useless. Maybe I can try after a few minutes when my heart stops jumping against my ribcage.

I've never had that intense of a dream for a long time. The last time I had one of those I had medication to keep them at bay. Now that's not the case. It shouldn't matter now though since it's only happened once. But to dream of something so far back in my last again is frightening. I thought I'd be rid of those dreams, but now they haunt me again as if it was just yesterday.

Maybe its because I found myself staring at another barrel of a gun…

"Bad dream?" The quiet voice of Vivi pulls me out of my thoughts. He's standing just right outside the bathroom, looking concerned.

"Y-Yeah." I mumbled honestly.

"I thought there were more soldiers outside, but it was actually just you talking in your sleep."

I hang my head low, trying to hide an embarrassed smile. "That bad, eh? Sorry if I was being loud."

Vivi just shook his head. I looked around and noticed our our friends to be still asleep. Freya slept by the window, her previous position before I went under, and Zidane's curled up by the small indoor bonfire he made, which has died down long before apparently. I guess it wasn't that bothersome.

"When I couldn't sleep my uncle used to tell me about his favorite recipes." Vivi shared. That's a bit morbid for his hungry uncle, but I guess he never got the implication if the fond brightness in his eyes meant anything.

"A glass of milk would usually calm me down for the night." I shared. Though I doubt we'd find any here. "Either that or someone tells me a story."

That got his attention. "Stories? Like the ones in the Lindblum library?"

"Yeah, and so much more." If it wasn't being read in a book, it could be one loaded up from the internet, a fairy tale from memory, or a show on the TV you can leave on. Those were the good times. "I think I still remember one if you want me to tell you one."

The sleepy black mage nodded. I followed him to the room he's using. Inside I saw Quina on a different bed, a small blanket covering part of her and her tongue still dangling out of the side of her mouth. At least she's getting some decent sleep.

I sat beside Vivi, who took his place on a vacant but messy bed. One of the stories that came to mind was one about a certain street rat, because of the scenery of the City of Eternal Rain. Well, save for the lack of sand. He liked some of the songs I tried to sing and hum, like Genie's introduction, and was genuinely curious about the extent of Genie's powers. But eventually his sleepiness came back, nodding off before I could get to my favorite song.

Once I was sure he was sleeping, I slowly put the blanket beside me on Vivi, before safely getting out without waking him or Quina up. "Sleep tight."

I went back to my spot, lying down and wrapping myself in the blanket given to me to ward off the rain's cold breeze. Memories of my dad and my grandparents tucking me in at night filled my head. As bitter as some of they were right now, it's the kind of comfort I need at the moment. I'm glad that I had them. Makes me wish I could have them by my side right now. I guess memories of them are all I have right now.

Reminiscing about my relatives eventually tired out my brain, resulting in a few hours of rest, which was enough to bring me and everyone back into a good fighting shape. I still feel sore though, but it was something I can fight through. Refreshed and energized, any of the monsters wandering the plains outside on our way to Cleyra got more of a fight from us than our first time exiting Burmecia, especially the Lizard Men and their oversized cutlery since they take more damage. We can easily breeze by Skeletons but whenever those big green warriors would attack through the Mist we had to be careful. But we would usually outnumber them and with attack coming from all sides it would fall and we would move on.

While we were fighting our way to the desert, I could feel the presence of the necklace around my neck even more after what had happened in my brief showdown with Beatrix. I remember it giving out this weird glow and before I knew it there was something blocking Beatrix's sword from striking me down. Sure she broke through it and put me down for the count, but just seeing that happen was a surprise even I couldn't have predicted. If I have to put one and one together then I'm going to guess that this necklace isn't so ordinary after all.

So I tried to make it happen again. Sure I can block a Skeleton's rugged dagger with my sword. I just wanted to see if I can block it with that purple barrier. As much as I wanted to do it though, it sure didn't want to cooperate. Forcing it to work in a dangerous testing field was risky, and after a few tries with a lot of close calls I chose to stop before I get hurt. Freya was this close to scolding me for being reckless, especially after what had happened in Burmecia. I had to explain what I was trying to do and she relented. She did encourage to have Quina and Vivi back me up if I want to try later.

Next thing on the agenda after that is figuring out what made the necklace activate its magic. Figuring out how it happened is going to be trouble. I personally have no clue on how to make magic work aside from the movies and books I've seen and read. Usually the people who can use magic are special, have been given the ability to do so by someone more powerful, or have to exchange something before they can use it. Being special is a possibility since I'm from a different world, along with the whole 'being given' (in a way) because the necklace was given to me as a reward. The 'magic in exchange for something' would be a bit difficult to actually know since I wouldn't know what's being exchanged. Does it use memories, life span, knowledge, or something else important? Maybe it wants something specific…?

Whatever the case, I have a whole tree to climb to use as a bit of a testing room. If I can get it working by then I'll definitely be happy.

The land eventually transitioned from wet faded grass to dry faded grass to grains of sand crunching beneath our feet. The desert wasn't that bad, yet was a bit jarring to go from wet to dry in just a few minutes. The temperature in the Vube Desert wasn't that bad though. As we approached the sandstorm, however, the wind was probably worse than being dry and hot in this very desert.

I was covering my eyes with my arm and walking cautiously at the same time. We might be walking towards a protective sandstorm that's supposed to keep anything dangerous out, but that doesn't mean we can't get attacked out here. Quina was blindsided by a Sand Scorpion when its tail came up from the sands under our feet and stung her in the arm. Thankfully she wasn't poisoned when she got hit, but it did cause us to approach Cleyra with more caution. And we killed the scorpion. 4-on-1 odds didn't give it a chance.

We passed trees that were healthy enough to last the sandstorm and bones of monsters, big and small alike, as we got nearer to the storm. There was a trail in front of us that would probably look more welcoming if it wasn't for this giant skull being the welcoming party for us.

"That would usually be cool if it wasn't a bit foreboding…" I said as I peeked through my fingers.

"Everything so dusty and sandy. Me no think food here be tasty…" Quina lamented.

Freya was leading us through the desert since she knew the exact location of the treehouse more than everyone else in our little team. We've been pressing forward as much as we can and the storm looked like it really didn't want any visitors. However, the closer we got Vivi mentioned he was getting this strange feeling from the storm. Even if it was giving our eyes a hard time, we could feel less resistance as we continued on and followed Freya.

"The tempest subsides…" The dragon knight called. Strangely enough the storm felt less of a barrier and more of a breeze at where we were standing. It felt safe enough to put my arms down with the sand flying around us was replaced by actual wind.

The mere sight of the massive tree bathed in the only light visible through the break in the sandstorm at its very top made me stare up at it in awe. We were walking on wooden walkways that had aged well with the tree's numerous roots taking all of the space beneath it. There were visible trails if sand falling out of the tree from various spots. If I had a camera or my phone with me I would have taken a picture of this already.

"How did we get in with no problem?" I heard Vivi ask as we crossed the walkway towards the tree.

"Yeah. Isn't that sandstorm supposed to keep people out?" Zidane added. It does feel odd that the supposed defense of Cleyra only blew sand in our face and didn't blast us out.

"Cleyra's sandstorm is formed by magic that has been used by our people for as long as we can remember. It is said that it instinctively knows those who wish to bring harm to its settlement and those who walk with peace in their hearts. But for those uninitiated, the mere sight of the sandstorm and the feeling of its harsh winds is enough to deter them." Freya explained. It does make sense with that line of thinking. Besides, most of those who live here are practically pacifists since they left Burmecia because they were too focused on war.

Our climb up the tree started off so well. It's surprising to see that the Cleyrans had made parts of the roots and the tree into stairs and platforms we can easily walk on, which is odd since they usually stay up at the very top most of the time, right? The first few minutes was peaceful. It was usually used to admire the tree's inner workings as well as figure out what routes to use to make our way upwards. There were a few times we had to backtrack, pull a few switches, and see what way has been obstructed by sand or not because we found a way ending with a hole going to a long fall down or a pit of sand. It's like the tangled up roots at the bottom were an allusion to how confusing going up is.

Of course we faced a good share of monsters in our hike up the tree. The tree may be covered from top to bottom with a protective sandstorm, but it sure can't stop the Mist from making monsters inside it. We faced off with a swarm of Dragonflies first. A buzzing noise accompanied the fast approach of the pale white insects, its long bladed arms came slicing as it swooped down at us. Vivi was able to intercept a few on their second go, but there were too many of them and they had the advantage with the outer side's open space, so we retreated inside for a brief break.

The Sand Scorpions made their reappearance, one for each of us, once again emerging from the ground with their stingers and pincers itching to sting and cut at us. Freya was ready this time, cutting the stinger off the nearest one before jumping away from its pincers. Zidane rolled past the stinger's and retaliated with his daggers. Quina was less lucky but she managed to avoid being poisoned in exchange for a few cuts on her big body, only to use it to slam against the scorpion. Vivi covered for me with a Fira and it left him open. He wasn't quick enough to dodge and I was too far to pull him out of there, but I tried reaching out to him in the hopes of distracting the scorpion. With everyone else preoccupied, he was bound to eat a stinger in the chest.

But that blow didn't come when it stopped mere inches in front of him. That purple barrier popped up between them and saved Vivi from getting hit. It vanished before I could even react. Fortunately, Vivi was able to capitalize by striking down the scorpion with a Thundara.

"Whoa, talk about cutting it close, Alyssa." Zidane's compliment comes as surprising as that barrier saving Vivi. Looking down to the necklace, I could see its glow dying down from its bright color to its original faded shade.

"I…uh…I don't know how that happened." I confessed. "I really need to know how I got it to appear like that."

Zidane then shrugged and just patted me on the back. "It's still a work in progress. Don't worry about it. Not everyone started as an expert in their own thing." Though, to be honest, having at minimal control over this power would be nice.

As we continued our climb we continued to fight these two types of monsters. They were harder to fight when they had more on their side, yet we managed to get by with each encounter. With our current luck, it would only be a matter of time until we got to something that posed more of a problem. And it came in the form of a pit of quick sand sitting between us and the doorway leading to the outer wall of the tree. It swirled in a big circle, each time stirring the sand down until it reached the center of its limited space, probably leading to a slow, sand-related suffocation or a mystery treasure room under all that sand.

…Just trying to be hopeful only by a little bit.

My first thought about this was there wasn't supposed to be quick sand here. That was quickly followed up by my brain scolding me for thinking this is going to be like the game. Of course there would be a few things off. But what we need now is to find a way to get past this pit since this is the only way that isn't a dead end. That wasn't going to be easy since all we can see in the room we were in was a lot of sand and immovable wood.

"I can easily cross that by jumping," Freya observed. Zidane pointed to himself too with a grin. "Yes, you too. However, I don't know how Vivi, Quina, and Alyssa would be able to cross it."

"Me throw little mage," Quina suggested, and it instantly made Vivi worry if that was what we were really doing. I doubt Quina could do that to me too so we might be a bit stranded unless we can find another way to get past the quick sand.

Everyone was trying to pitch in ideas when I heard something strange. It sounded like a low growl, but I thought that was just the sandstorm outside being loud. I probably should have noticed the sand at our feet moving but was too busy thinking of an idea that I thought it was just the quick sand pit affecting the sand close to it. We only caught on when Zidane suddenly flew from where he was standing and hit the tree's inner wall.

Behind where he originally stood was this big hand made of sand. The hand and arm started to reel back closer to its bigger body for another strike. It was intimidating looking that high up at a being consisting only of sand that can hit that hard. Actually, I'd rather fight another Zaghnol than fight something so human-like and giant. Looking down at us with its growl echoing throughout the room, the Sand Golem put its hands together and swung it downwards at us.

Freya held Vivi close and jumped to the far side of the room while Quina and I scattered before the massive double axe-handle could smash us to bits. Zidane had joined us after he recovered from the hit and was eager to make the first approach. He slipped past the surprisingly fast punches of the Sand Golem, its hands digging into the sand floor with each missed hit. With its attention on the yellow tailed thief, Quina, Freya, and I charged as well. The three of us got close enough to cut and stab and slice at where its feet would be. All that managed to do was annoy the creature as it looked down on us with a glare on its sand face.

It easily swept us to the side with one move of its arm. For something made out of soft, it sure can hit very hard. As we were digging out of our pile and get back to the fight, we could see Zidane keeping up his diversions by zipping around it and moving away from its punches. Just like how Zidane didn't expect to be the first one to get hit earlier, it didn't see Vivi's Blizzara make its arms stop in mid-punch with Zidane separating them from its body with a few slices from his Ogre.

He gave off a cheer as it looked like the giant sand monster's method of attacking was gone. Usually I'd agree to a few cheers, but we're standing on the same property that thing is made off, so seeing it pull from that very source and reform its arms made the blond deflate. It made its next target clear when it steamrolled through Zidane, putting him in his own private pile of sand, and went straight towards Vivi.

The black mage tried to stop it with a Blizzara-enforced ice wall, only for it to divide itself and easily get past it through its cracks. He also tried freezing parts of it as it reformed and it worked to an extent, but it had a lot of sand to use and reformed over parts of its frozen body. It just kept growing and growing until I could see its arms ready for an attack. It never came as Freya's spear cut it off, shattering the majority of its frozen body and gave Vivi the opportunity to escape.

We continued to do a hit and run plan of attack. Vivi stays at the far back with Freya and keep pelting it with spells while Zidane, Quina, and I attack it in the front. We had a lot close calls and I'm sure we got sand in a lot of places we didn't want any. I started to get acquainted with the tree's inner wall after being smashed against it one too many times when I got too slow in dodging. This plan didn't actually feel like it was doing anything as we manage to displace the sand on its body, from its head, arms, and part of its torso, only to have it keep reforming after a few seconds.

As the Sand Golem was putting itself back together, fighting something that can do that with an almost unlimited supply of sand was detrimental to the five of us. I'm sure there was something I was missing about this since this thing was just a random encounter, but then again game mechanics are very different from real life, especially this one. So we opted to use this time to put some distance between us by going over the quick sand and out of this room.

The Burmecian took Vivi with her as she jumped over the pit. Zidane surprised me by sweeping me off my feet and took both of us over the quick sand. Both of our athletic teammates jumped back to help Quina since the only other way for her was to tiptoe from the side and hope she was fast enough to avoid the Sand Golem's wrath, which didn't look likely as it already had half of its form done. Zidane and Freya took hold of the Qu's sides and coordinated a jump, only to fall short when it wasn't enough to get her over it. Both Vivi and I lunged to grab Quina's arms to avoid her from being pulled into the pit's center.

"Oh no! Me no like sand in apron!" Quina cried as she held on for dear life.

"We gotta hurry!" Zidane shouted when the Sand Golem's growl rose to a roar. We pulled as hard as we can to get her out of there, but it would only be a matter of time for the monster to come in and bury us in more sand.

My grip slips from Quina's arms, flinging me back past Zidane and Freya. I heard Vivi yell when he nearly gets pulled in with Quina, but thanks to Zidane and Freya scrambling to get a hold of them it didn't happen. I tried getting back in there and pull, unfortunately the Sand Golem was close and readying an attack. Everyone seemed to freeze when they realized this as if to brace for the impact. I didn't and kept pulling until the last second when my arm went up reflexively to stop any sand from getting into my eyes.

However, no sand hit us when the big fist collided with a purple barrier. It had surrounded the doorway up to a portion of the quick sand pit Quina was trapped in. I looked down and see the necklace's jewel glowing brilliantly again like the last time it worked. The Sand Golem didn't like this development, however, as it started to pound on the wall to get at us.

"C'mon guys, pull! We don't know how long Alyssa can keep this up!" Vivi called to the others. Even I don't know how long I can do this, but I tried to my hardest to concentrate on having that barrier up. No Sand Golem's gonna stop us from getting to Cleyra!

The four of us pulled as hard as we can with Quina finally rising from the sand's grip inch by inch. With every hit the barrier took my head and chest started to throb and ache. It was as if I was getting the air punched out of me instead of the barrier. Maybe this is that exchange this magic worked on? Who knows? I didn't have time to ponder on it as Quina was close to being freed. I had to pull back as I was having trouble pulling when my lungs started to burn. All I could do now was just keep that barrier up.

Zidane coordinated one last major pull, the trio heaving and pulling with all their might on the Qu's sturdy arms and it was deemed enough when Quina popped out of the quick sand and landed on her face. We quickly scrambled out of there with Zidane carefully guiding me out to the tree's outer wall platform.

The Sand Golem was persistent as it gave out a roar and one more punch. The sound of glass shattering filled my ears and I felt the barrier broke under all that pressure. I collapsed with my back against the tree's outer wall and struggled to get air back into my system. Vivi gave us a hell of a break by covering the doorway with ice and left no cracks or crevice available for sand to get through. We were safe for now.

"Are you okay?" Vivi was trying to help by rubbing my back. I appreciate the effort and I'm thankful for it since I was a little dizzy. Honestly, if I wasn't struggling for air, I would be throwing up right now. I didn't know holding out like that would take that much out of me.

"We need to move and put distance between us and that guardian," Freya told us, but didn't move as she waited for me to recover. Not wanting to drag us down, I stated to get up so we can get more progress through the tree.

Zidane stopped me for a second with a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, remember to not push yourself, okay?"

"I know," I replied with a nod. "I was starting to feel a bit better anyway so we actually should be going now." He gave me a once over, not believing me for a second because of how I tried to suck in big breaths of air, before actually agreeing and leading us up the outer wall to find another way in.

I took in another gulp of air as I followed the others. I can't help but wonder if I'm actually using magic or not. If I am, how is it supposed to work? For now it looks like it only wants to help when it's convenient. That's not how I want to rely on this power. Being readily available and prepared with it would be a huge help. I need to wrap my head around this whole necklace power if I want to rely on it more…

That Sand Golem proved to be tougher than I thought. That ice wall won't definitely hold it in place. The more distance we put in between us, the better. If we run into it again we might have to figure out how to properly take it out. There was something bothering me actually and I couldn't place a finger on it. It might be important too if my brain's thinking I need to know this. Welp, it's not like I'm in a hurry to figure that particular thing out. It'll solve itself when it can.

While we were avoiding the Sand Golem and trying to find a different route after going through dead end after dead end and being stuck outside of the tree for quite a while, Zidane found a suspicious hole on the wall that was big enough to put something in. Since he found it he volunteered to take a look at it while everyone else was exploring our current area. There wasn't anything particularly obvious that we should be pulling, touching, or opening so we thought Zidane had a good idea.

He slowly put his hand in it before inching the rest of his arm inside, probably feeling around for anything suspicious and—

"AHH!" Zidane screamed, the suddenness of it all made everyone else jump, and it got me especially hard when I shouted when it looked like something was pulling on his arm. I thought the Sand Golem was pulling at his arm! Before anyone could pull him out of there and help, Zidane started laughing to himself. He pulled his arm out of the hole without any difficulty as his laughter grew. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. Needed to lighten up the mood around here."

His prank earned him a punch in the shoulder from me before putting his arm back in the same hole, demanding he find something good in that hole before walking off, an attempt to hide the shame and warmth gathering on my face. Freya ensured he wouldn't have a chance to enjoy it by nudging him with her spear. Eventually a rustic screech came from a below, a sign of a door opening. We all hurried towards the door, climbing up the branches to get back inside as the sound of ice cracking filled the air. The golem was about to break through.

We realized we were once again the same room from our fight with the Sand Golem, only higher up due to the sand having filled up the room. Our encounters dipped momentarily since the Dragonflies seemed to be more focused on outside intruders and the Sand Golem was still MIA. However, we found ourselves into a few rooms with tracks of sand moving out like a river until it fell off over some edge out of the tree. Basically we were in sandfall territory. It would be nice if it wasn't for the Sand Scorpions and the probably of drowning in sand.

One thing we were glad for with the small number of monsters appearing in this room is that we were able to help a moogle from drowning and going over a sandfall. Nothing beats being a hero for just a minute there. He thanked us with a funny salute and pointed us towards Cleyra, hinting that we were getting close.

A single sign saying Cleyra with an arrow pointing up a path past the sandfalls gave us hope of being closer to the town above. The thought of resting on a comfy bed and being away from this amount of sand carried us through a few more rooms until we found ourselves before a wooden bridge. Now this one didn't look like it aged well compared to other stuff we've seen before. Heck, even the sign we passed earlier looked healthier than this one. With that in mind, we started to cross the bridge one by one so we wouldn't tempt fate and make it give out.

However, I didn't expect a surge of wind to hit me just when I was getting close to the end. It easily got the bridge to swing and tilt, nearly knocking me off it I hadn't grabbed on to the planks. I look above and see this big bird covered in black feathers flapping its wings as it came down on us. The Zuu perched on one of the small crevices it can put its claws on. It stared at me as if I was a delicious treat dangling in the air just waiting to be eaten, and it acted on its instincts by lunging at me with its mouth wide open.

Quina interjected with an Aqua Breath, disrupting the bird's focus enough to miss me and cause the bridge to spin. I would have fallen off due to dizziness after being sent on a trip, but Zidane got hold of me and helped me across the bridge. Not everyone was able to do so when the Zuu came back and snatched Vivi with its beak before he could reach the end.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" I could hear the black mage mumble from his precarious position as he hung from the bird's beak by his clothes. I didn't have any long-range skills so I was forced to watch as the Zuu flung the boy into the air and opened its mouth to receive its food.

That didn't happen when Freya launched herself at it and stabbed her spear at the thing's chest, catching it off-guard as it recoiled in an uncoordinated fashion that it hit the wall behind it and apparently forgot how to flap its wings properly. Zidane jumped into action and caught Vivi in his arms before landing on a small cleft in the trunk's wall. The three of them managed to get back to our platform and I was finally able to relax.

These monsters are proving to be more surprising in their approach. Makes me wish that they were just random encounters since now it feels like they're really out to get us. I can't help but sigh at that very thought. If only…

Unfortunately for us our unlucky streak extends to TWO confrontations with big things when the sand around Zidane formed and trapped him. His shock was met with the Sand Golem's face forming right in front of us with a glare aimed at everyone present. It came back with a vengeance when a wave of sand pushed us back towards the bridge. Thankfully we didn't end up on an impromptu sandfall, but considerable distance was put between us and our yellow-tailed leader.

"Oh, come on!" Zidane groaned from his spot. The rest of us tried to get back to the fight, but sifting through the sands looked harder and it looked. It was enough time for the Sand Golem to throw Zidane around the walls to the sounds of his pained cries. Quina was swinging her mythril fork at their direction whole we cleared the sand and started to come close. Zidane became less panicked when he started to be covered in a white light that shimmered all over him. It wasn't Trance, but from the looks of it, it helped with the golem's manhandling of him.

"Mighty Guard," Quina informed the rest of us. Pretty nice use of her Blue Magic.

With Zidane's increased defense helping him against any physical damage, Vivi tried to free him by striking down the golem with a Thundara to the head. It decimated a big portion of its body and all of its head, the stunning attack giving Zidane ample time to squirm out of its hand and retaliate with a slice of his Ogre. Everyone probably thought 'screw the Sand Golem for now', cause they ran past to rush towards our destination. I followed as fast as I can, only to be hit by its arm swinging blindly. Vivi brought down the thunder once again, further collapsing its body until it was just a pile of shifting sands.

Then I noticed something that got my memory of the monster going. I saw a bit of a red stone moving in the sand, only for a brief moment as the sand covered it up and got back to making its body again. That was it! The way to finally put that monster to rest. If we can get direct hits on that red core then the Sand Golem would stop bothering us. That thing's smart if it covers up its weak point like that.

Since I'm alone and trying to put my sword through its core without back-up would be reckless, I decided to join up with the others in our forward retreat. I'll bring it up with the other if the monster bothers us again.

That time, however, was sooner than I expected. A roar enters my ears and the feeling of sand gathering by my feet got me moving faster than I was moving already. A look over my shoulder gave me the sight of the Sand Golem rolling towards me. It catching up was certainly a problem, but not as big as everyone suddenly stopping was. The reason? Multiple quick sand whirlpools.

"The same strategy before might not work." Freya assessed the situation. We have a lot of room to go through, the golem was right behind us, and I don't know if I could get that barrier up for that long again. We needed more time.

Vivi was ready to volunteer to give us what we need when he used a Fira on the charging Sand Golem. The intensity of the fire was enough to stop the monster from moving further and it started making it sizzle in place. Everyone save for him and Freya stayed, Zidane leading Quina carefully through the quick sand. I followed their lead as much as I can, but I can't help but look back to the black mage's efforts. He's been using a lot of magic since we left Burmecia. He's probably close to running on fumes at this moment, yet that didn't bother him at the slightest as the Sand Golem was starting to be partly turned to glass. I could see its red core being trapped in the glass moving slightly against it.

Freya took the black mage into her arms and jumped close to the entire group. We were lucky enough to have gotten through without anyone falling into the quicksand. However, the Sand Golem didn't appreciate being turned to a massive transparent statue as its core willed the sand around it to wrap around its glass figure to try breaking it. We didn't have to worry about it though as we were clear of the quicksand and ready to run out to the Upper Outer Climb.

A screech from the air caught us by surprise as a beak broke through one of the tree's openings and divided the group into two. The Zuu came back and it wasn't a fan of having its grub run away from it earlier.

Quina and I used our weapons to stab at the bird as fast as we can, hitting it in the beak and parts of its face and neck. It was enough to send it back and unblock our way, but with the pathway was leading to a clear opening with enough space for it to attack again. Besides that flying problem, we still have the Sand Golem on our back.

"Guys, we need to take care of the Golem first." I tell the others as we stopped just right before we reached the opening. We could clearly see a ladder leading up higher up the tree. Leading these monsters in there wouldn't be the best thing for those guys up there.

"How? It keeps coming back whenever we try to fry or freeze it." Zidane asked. He was bent over his knees and trying to recover some energy.

"The golem has this red core in it. If we can bring it out we should be able to hurt it there." That was one part of our troubles, yet that leaves the other one.

A screech interrupts our planning when the Zuu lands in front of the ladder and tried to dig us out of our little spot inside the tree. To make things worse, the Golem was basically standing in front of us with its fist raised. I held the necklace in my hand for a second, praying for it to work as I stood right in front of its attack. With a raise of my hand I internally shouted for the barrier to save us a third time.

I flinched when the fist collided with the purple layer of energy came up and intercepted the attack. The moment of impact was accompanied by a prick of pain against my chest. I might be using this jewel a bit too much today or I might not be physically ready to keep it using this much. Can't worry about it now. Just focus on keeping this thing's attention while the others are making that Zuu fly away for now.

I could feel the wind get cold behind me and another screech made me think they were handling it just fine. There were sounds of the others calling out to each other, things landing on the ground, and that constant sound that big bird makes. If only it would keep its mouth shut then I'll be able to concentrate…

That's it!

"Yo guys, I think I have an idea to get rid of this thing." I called to the others. "First we need to get this thing to stop punching me, and then get the core."

"Fry him, Vivi!" Zidane said, readying beside me. "I got your back."

When Zidane gave me the nod, I willed the barrier to disappear and backed up for the duo. Vivi used Blizzara at the monster, causing to back up in an attempt to avoid it. He followed every movement with a wave of ice, freezing the area surrounding it so it wouldn't escape.

I turn around and see Freya keeping the Zuu's attention as she jumped around over it while Quina weighed it down by grabbing onto its claws. I decided to help them, joining Quina by holding on to her and adding more weight to keep it down. I noticed that the Qu had been attacking with her fork, stabbing at the bird's bottom when she can. I think I even saw her get a good portion of the Zuu and put it in her mouth. Just…why!? Can you at least cook it first?

The sound of ice shattering came and was followed by Vivi and Zidane running out. The latter was holding on to a red stone and it was starting to move around in his fist. "What do I do with this!?"

Freya had the great timing of throwing her spear right through one of the bird's wings. However, Quina and I had a rough landing as the Zuu crashed against the tree and fell right beside the ladder leading to the town.

"Feed it!" I point to the bird's mouth as I get Quina as far from the bird as possible.

With a shrug, the thief threw the red core at the bird's beak, timing it perfectly as it struggled to get back on its feet. It suddenly getting a snack go down its throat made it jump and flap its wings as it made this high pitched choking sounds, making us retreat back into the tree so we wouldn't get hit. The Zuu slid off the side of the tree when it kept trying to get back up. We peered over the side to see it fall down, and man is that quite the long fall.

"Two monsters with one core. Not how the saying goes, but I'll take it." Zidane sighed as he sat down by the ladder.

"Aww…bird yummy…" Quina didn't get enough of her sample from the Zuu. I think I could see a bit of blood at her tongue.

"Don't worry. The settlement is close. We can finally rest easy." Freya pointed to the top of the ladder. Yeah, that's our goal and we're finally here.

She took point and climbed first. Soon after all of us were at the top, we were met with brighter leaves of the tree and clearer skies that was a sight we can easily get used to after being around a lot of brown in the tree's trunk. It's like all of the life in the tree is all centered in the settlement. Just looking at this place gives me the feeling that I can finally relax and get the sand out of my socks and blouse.

The moment we climbed up the small set of stairs we spotted a friendly pair of ladies waiting side by side at the entrance. Both were dressed in a light green outfit that reminded me of monks except for the white headdress they had on. Both of them approached Freya in a calm way and spoke in a gentle voice.

After confirming that she was Freya, they inform her that the King of Burmecia is safe in the settlement and is waiting for her arrival. Freya was relieved and we were glad to hear that with the former asking to see the king at once. One of the Cleyrans was kind enough to escort her to the king before she excused herself from the group, telling us we should get some rest as she left. I'm more than ready to fall in a bed, ma'am.

"I am Forest Oracle Kildea and it is a pleasure to welcome you to our humble settlement." The lady greeted with a bow. "The journey up the trunk must have been most treacherous. Would you like for me to show you to the inn so you may rest?"

A chorus of yes's came from our group. Kildea warmly smiled and gestured for us to follow her. It didn't take long to get to the center of the town where the inn can be found. Once inside she told us our first day here would be free since we helped Freya get here even if she was capable enough on her own. We gladly accepted and went to our respective beds, where I didn't wait to get my boots off and fell on one of the pillows face first.

"Sanctuary!" I moaned in relief into the pillow followed by a few shared sentiments around me. I'd melt into this bed and stay here forever after going through days of constant traveling if I could, but even I know I won't be able to, especially with what's going to happen next.

I turn over and face the ceiling of the inn as thoughts of the future started filling my head. My letter hasn't paid off just yet and Burmecia happened just as it did in the game, except for a few details here and there, yet still same conclusion in the end. I thought Lindblum would've stepped in there and help fight them off before the King of Burmecia is forced to retreat here. Now they're bound to put their crosshairs here now…

But I can't give up hoping they'd help now! We've come this far now and we might be able to stave off the impending attack if we can prepare properly without them. How will I be able to convince Freya and her countrymen to prepare for an attack without giving myself away? I dunno. I'm sure writing a letter might work. Let's not overdo it with the letters. One is a coincidence, two is just suspicious. Maybe I can suggest a few things with Freya or Zidane later.

For now I'm gonna try and regain my strength and then probably figure out how I can understand this barrier magic necklace thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed reading these new chapters or have some feedback you wanted to share, please tell me. More chapters to come soon.


	31. Worst Case Scenario

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zidane keeps a secret and the Alexandrians go to jail

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 30: Worst Case Scenario

\- Blake -

I lead Dagger and Steiner to the slums towards the inn in the guise of seeing Marcus going here. A technical truth, but it was either this or letting Dagger search through town to actually look for him. Let's just say that I want to get to the inn and rest for a bit.

When we did get there, we were greeted with the hacking cough from a level below the inn, a lively tune from what seemed like a piano, and a room full of beds right in front of us. Apparently the inn was fused with a pub, with the latter taking the floor below while the former is all put in the current floor we were in. It's not a terrible idea to have those two establishments together, but who am I to judge. The only positive point I can see for this place is that you can have a drink in your bed.

Anyway, Dagger asked if anyone had spotted someone with the description of Marcus. The man behind the counter nodded and said he was waiting for us downstairs. A handful of people sat alone, some looking bored or drunk or both and some eyeing us silently, while a group of people looked like they were having a blast by the piano player at the center of the room. That was when we found the source of the cough standing beside one of the doors at the far side of the room. It's the leader of Tantalus, Baku. He gave us a curious stare as we crossed the room.

"Ah, the liabilities." Baku hummed. "The princess, her hot-blooded knight, and the cripple."

"Hey, we have names too, you know?" I objected to the harsh label. Somehow that amused him enough to laugh and smack me in the arm. I stumbled to the side after his heavy hand made contact.

"Don't worry about it! To be honest, I forgot all ‘yer names 'cept for the princess." Sheesh, this guy sure doesn't like to hold back when he's kidding. "How was Lindblum, Princess Garnet?"

"It was a great experience, but I am ready to go back home now. And please don't call me that." Dagger answered. Marcus then emerged from the door Baku stood by. He saw us and nodded us over.

"We're ready to retrieve the Supersoft." Marcus told us.

Dagger clapped her hands in anticipation. "Good! At last we can save Blank. When do we leave?"

"We can leave now. So you're really coming along, huh?" That earned him a nod from the girl. I could feel Steiner's glare intensify from what I think he sees as Dagger being baited to join in their crimes.

As much as I love to join the others, I didn't actually plan on taking up a spot in their supposed heist. They can have fun meeting a certain doctor from Dagger's past while I take a load off. "You guys go on ahead and take that Supersoft without me. I only came with you to go to Alexandria, not make my alleged rap sheet bigger."

I could see Marcus give his boss a look while Dagger looked on with a hint of concern. Nonetheless, that didn't shake her from giving the thieves a hand with their quest. She followed Marcus through the door to make their way to the underground waterway. Steiner, on the other hand, looked conflicted with following the white mage’s lead or do his duty by talking her out of it. So he trailed close behind the two and called out to the girl with worried tone.

With his protégé trying to get one step closer to getting Blank out of his petrified state, Baku walked past me to get a chair and a mug from the waitress attending the bar. He sat down close to the door and settled in. It made me think about how long going to the place Marcus' plans to rob and back here. It shouldn't be that long, right? They take a boat and get to the back entrance of the synth shop, talk to Doctor Tot for a bit, and then head straight back here. It takes about five minutes in game time, so I should scale that back to somewhere between twenty to thirty minutes since the synth shop is almost across the city. That is depending on the route they take in the waterway.

So I tried to relax a bit by taking a seat close to the now drinking leader of Tantalus. I put Nero down on the nearest table and kept an eye on him. Then I noticed Baku looking at me from as he sips from his mug. What? Was there something on my face?

"Nothin'. After hearin' what ya said earlier, makes me wonder why ya really here. Yer a bigger liability than the other two combined." He finally said as he put down his mug with a satisfied thump, the liquid inside it sloshing around the lip and spilling a bit to the table.

"Just business at Alexandria. Not that it matters to you." I frowned at him. Still don't appreciate being called a liability though. That earned me a curious hum from him.

"'Ya look like the type'a guy who shouldn't be here or 'yer over 'yer own head."

I shrugged. "Probably both." More like I'm the second one because of the first one.

"Whatever 'yer business there is, I suggest you better turn back before things take a turn for the worse. Heard dat country's doing some shady stuff. Take it from me, kid. Dat place ain't as good as it looks." He taps the mug on his chest, accidentally letting some of the beer spill on his shirt, but it goes unnoticed.

"I would follow your advice if I was a smarter man. But there's something I have to see through first." Besides, even though I know getting there means being trapped, what am I going to do about it? Convince the princess to forget about talking her mom out of a hostile takeover and eventual war or find a way to force her to follow my lead instead? Even if I go for the latter, I don't have any idea what to do next because that will bring some severe changes to the plot. That's the last thing I want to do. Murder is somewhere near that, but the plot takes priority.

Then an idea pops into my mind as I look at the burly man going through most of his drink. Dagger doesn't necessarily have to be murdered to fulfill Meguro's condition. She just doesn't have to make it to Alexandria.

I approached the leader of Tantalus with a hypothetical scenario. I had to test out the waters first before actually asking if he and his group can do it. I asked him if he had a price for kidnapping someone and keeping them locked up for a few days before letting them go as if nothing happened. They had already kidnapped Dagger once so what was another kidnapping to them anyway?

The question got him curious why I would have that kind of thought. I passed it off as some random thought I had. He took a minute to think about it and eventually had a few objections to the scenario. One, his team would be easily identified if they release someone they kidnap (to which I remedied by using codenames and masks). Two, he probably connected my 'random thought' to their recent crime by saying their last kidnapping was a favor to the Regent of Lindblum and not just a hobby they suddenly wanted to pursue. I told him it was just a hypothetical and just wanted to know if he had a price for it.

He chuckled at my question. The fur covered man leaned back on his chair and looked up as if to think up a number that would satisfy him. Then he looked back to me and shook his head. "'Ya think 'yer pretty clever, kid, but it's not worth doin'. You don't even have enough to pay me for it." He stood up and walked away.

Great. Even my hypothetical ideas are literally worthless. Perhaps I should have expected this to happen. Today is truly becoming a celebration for my misery and disappointment. I slump into my seat to the point my head meets the surface of the table with a soft thump. I guess I can just rest here.

Well that was the plan until I felt something cold meet the side of my face a minute later. I recoiled instantly at the contact, almost making me tip over my chair. The source of the coldness was a ceramic mug filled with ice and some liquid. The person responsible for bringing it here stood in front of me with a mug of his own refilled to the brim.

"Stop thinkin' so hard. Ya'll get bent outta shape like that knight if ya keep at it. Relax!" Baku took the mug and put it in my hands carefully so it wouldn't spill on my clothes and armor. He clinked his drink with mine before returning to his seat.

He does have a point. The last thing I want to happen is to be so rigid and shout at everyone as if my voice box would not break through conventional shouting. With a sigh, I raise the mug to my lips and take a sip. A second later I flinched and drew back from the bitter tasting liquid, some of it dribbling out of my mouth.

It was beer! Now that I think about it, I should have expected it to beer since we're in a pub. But damn I did not want that in my system until I had a mentally and emotionally crushing 9-5 job.

But a glance at Baku's reaction, a frown across his furry features, made me hesitate in turning down the drink. He did buy it for me so letting it sit here would be a waste. I'm sure he would be against the idea of taking it from me, especially when I'd already taken a sip of it. Resigned to my carelessness, I tried a bigger sip so I can acclimate to its taste.

Before today I've never had any desire to drink alcohol and the first sip further proved I didn't like it. But the bigger follow up and the sips after that made different impressions. It still tasted the same, but it felt better going down my throat. Then those sips got bigger. Soon the drink became empty. Baku's frown softened, a grin replaced it as he downed his own drink, toasting for something that went over my head. My empty cup soon became not so empty, one look into the bitter liquid made my gaze hazy.

Staring at the cup after a few drinks at it didn't help. Every blink made the cup have less and less beer in it until it got topped up again. Baku's voice made less sense as time went by and staring at him didn't bother him that much. What bothered me was how everyone else was moving faster, like the world is being fast-forwarded while I moved at the average speed. When I tried to ask Baku about it, he was no longer there and was replaced by a group of people staring at me. I blinked and then I was staring at the bartender.

"Can ya give the kid some water? He's been spacing out for a while now." The familiar voice of Baku filled my ears for a second. When I felt someone hold my shirt and pull me up, I felt light like a feather in a storm. Everything was so bright and wavy that my brain registered them as neon lights dancing. Another hand came upon my shoulder with a firm grip. "Get yer ass up and drink."

It didn't bother me that my hand started moving on their own. Perhaps I should've minded, but I was too tired to bother anyway. When did the pub/inn become a glowing light show? However, when a glass came by my lips and water started pouring out of it and landing on my shirt, my senses kicked back in.

My hand held the glass tighter and my mouth opened to drink up the liquid without spilling any more. Laughter met my ears as I put down the glass after finishing its contents. The sight of Baku clutching his sides as his hearty laugh echoed throughout the pub was not something I wanted to see, especially when his laugh was apparently meant for me.

"Didn't know yer throat's that dry after telling dat long story."

"What story?" I looked around and noticed I was not using the same table I had occupied earlier. In fact, I was closer to the piano, now empty, and the bar, the waitress behind it seemingly watching us while hiding her grin.

"Ah, 'ya don't even remember it! Lonely guy looking fer his wife in a shady Mist-filled town, only to find out he killed 'er. Pretty sure it's longer and more complicated. And dark too. Ya played some songs for it too, as good as a drunk with one hand can anyway."

The pieces fall back into place in my head, vague memories of me facing the piano while Nero tweeted on top of it as well as watching the crowd's reaction to the story. Now I wonder how bad I told that story in that condition. Better not ask. I really need to avoid beer for a while.

A few taps on the shoulder along with a soft voice saying my name roused me from my thoughts. I pull away from the table and see Dagger looking down at me with a surprised look. Steiner was behind her with his eyes almost admonishing me for something I had not done.

"What in the world happened to you? You look like a common drunk." Steiner clearly stated what he and Dagger had in mind when they saw me. Well, I assume Dagger wouldn't put it like that.

I look down and see that my shirt was partly unbuttoned, my chest piece armor close to falling off due to the single strap leaving it connected, and my undershirt looked like it was in serious need of a change. I tried coming up with a clever comeback, but with how they recoiled and stepped back, I'm guessing 'common drunk' is an unobjectionable title that will stick for a while.

After attempting to fix myself, we were out of the inn/pub after a request for a mint at a low price and another bathroom break. Dagger informed me of the state of their current quest. They don't have the cure for petrification right now, but they know someone who does. We would have to meet with a certain doctor at the west side of the city where a large tower is located.

In the meantime, Dagger thought it would be wise to use the free time we currently had to check if we can find better items and weapons. Marcus suggested to go to the item shop while we tended to other possible destinations. Perhaps he's thinking of not letting us be prey to any bad guys lurking by the deeper levels of the slums. Steiner told us of the weapon shop near the auction house. I brought up the synthesis shop that we can visit on the way to the tower. That should give me an opportunity to return these Stellazios for a nice price.

With our destinations set, we left for Steiner's suggestion first.

Unfortunately, in my case, it was more like lag behind the two Alexandrians and stumble into various people and objects. Dagger was kind enough to guide me in my walking to avoid more embarrassment for the whole group.

\- Alyssa -

I opened my eyes to the sound of the howling breeze made by the storm surrounding Cleyra. Surprisingly, it wasn't that too bad. It's more like a constant source of wind blowing by and it felt more comforting than threatening on this side of the storm. I didn't notice it that much when we got here since I'm too tired to let the environment around me sink in just yet.

Looking out of the window didn't tell me much if a lot of time went by during my nap. Is it even be called a 'nap' if I felt drained and exhausted before and was now more energized than before? I say energized because I still felt sore and my head is throbbing just a bit. And the reason for my body feeling this way is gonna be waltzing her way up the trunk probably today. Definitely not looking forward to facing off with her, but at least I'll be backing up the others when it happen. I wish I could spent the rest of the day asleep just to make everything stop hurting.

I relax in my bed for a minute, directing my eyes to the wooden ceiling above me just to let this feeling last a while longer. It's gonna be a long time until I can lie down and be this relaxed. Might as well take it in and make it last as long as I can…

"Pointy-headed devil!"

A cry from outside the inn got my attention. The invasion's supposed to happen way later. What the heck is going on outside?

Getting up from my bed, the commotion sounded like it was starting to get a head of steam by the point I had walked down the stairs. The quiet oracle standing behind the counter and maintaining the inn looked kinda concerned with the rising level of shouting just outside the door. It was coming closer and it was…sounding younger?

"Leave Cleyra at once!"

The door opened and a boy in an oversized blue jacket stumbled backwards, tripping over the small step before the door and fell down right before the counter. It was Vivi. He was raising his hands and shaking as he crawled backwards. The reason why he was acting like this was because of the two rat men following him, both of them armed with swords. Their clothes looked worn down and sandy, a clear sign that they had come here to escape the ruins of Burmecia.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Vivi said, backing up until his back hit the counter.

"Let us all be civil about this matter and think things through." The oracle tried to reason with the soldier.

"That bastard killed my friends!" One of them shouted, pointing his sword at Vivi. He then sneered at the black mage and readied his blade. "And we're gonna make him pay for it."

Okay, that's enough of that!

I ran down the stairs as fast as I can and stopped that guy by tackling him. Blocking his sword with mine would've been more reasonable, but I left it upstairs and I didn't know if Vivi would've been able to dodge it if I went to get it. Good news, it did the job and stopped his friend from following up. Bad news, this is definitely gonna add to the soreness I'm already feeling.

Scrambling off the Burmecian soldier and standing as a shield for Vivi, I met the gaze of the swordsmen with my own, "I don't know what's going on, but you are not coming any closer to my friend if you keep swinging your sword like that." It's technically true. There's something familiar with this scene, but I know it's supposed to have kids involved, not a pair of angry swordsmen.

Of course, they still want to get their attempts at getting revenge. "Get out of the way woman! That monster killed our people and ransacked our city. He's not getting away that easily!"

My hand reaches for the pendant hanging from my neck. I hope they don't resort to fighting since I won't be able to fight both of them off. "This one didn't do that. I've been with him since I met him and he's the nicest guy I've known. He may have been to Burmecia, but he was there to help you, your people, and your king."

"Nonsense! You're being controlled by that bastard!" His friend interjected, taking his sword and pointed it at Vivi, who was holding on to me for dear life.

I sighed. I'm not really equipped to handle this. "Look. We're all tired and sore. I'm sure we've all had a helluva day. Can we just take deep breaths and put down our swords? Freya was with us when we came to Burmecia and she helped us get here. We can all bring it up to her and talk it out when she gets back from the king. Until then, let's all just chill out."

They both looked at each other after I gave my plea. They looked like they were having a silent, telepathic debate while their eyebrows twitched and crossed and knitted into a lot of expressions. It took a while, but from the looks of it the first one was starting to lower his sword. Who knew I'd be able to stop a fight from happening with just words? It's really unexpected, especially when I've never intervened like this—

"Screw you, you Alexandrian sympathizer!" The other one yelled at me, shoving his friend to the side before lunging at me. It happened too fast! I didn't have enough time to grab Vivi and dive for cover. All I got to do was flinch and close my eyes.

VWOOM!

The dull sound of steel colliding with something solid accompanied by a lack of pain told me the sword didn't hit me. I opened my eyes when the Burmecian soldier vocalized what I also thought, in a cruder type of way. The sight of the purple barrier intervening once again and the light the pendant in my hands gave me instant relief.

How many times has it stepped in when I couldn't control it just yet? Not that I need to keep count. I'm just glad that the sword wasn't cutting my chest or any part of my body right now.

My eyes catch a figure walk around me armed with just a simple stick and clonked the mystified soldier on the noggin and hands hard enough to make him drop his sword. The oracle gave him a look that made him step back. "The girl is right. Whatever conflict you may have with them, monster or not, this is not the time or the place. The sandstorm has allowed him passage. Surely that should say enough about his character."

"S-Still…his kind…they destroyed—" He tried to interrupt, only to have his hands tapped by the stick again, this time much lighter than the one before.

"I will not have visitors fight in my inn, whether they may be Burmecian or not. The king will not appreciate hearing that his men act so brutish in the safety of Cleyra." She then turned to me and bowed. Seeing someone stand up for us got me to relax. The barrier probably noticed we were safe for now and disappeared until I needed it again. "My apologies, madam. I hope you and your friend to forgive our brethren's impulsiveness."

"Uh…no big. Just a misunderstanding, right?" I rub the back of my head, a bit of warmth creeping into my cheeks. She got me with the sudden apology and for calling me 'madam'. I'm just a teenager. No one calls me madam in real life.

But hey, everyone seemed to calm down. The soldiers dejectedly walked out of the inn with their tails literally tucked between their legs and mumbling to themselves and throwing glares at me, Vivi relaxed a bit, and everything's quiet and settled now. This pendant barrier thing is a real life saver. I should sit down and learn how to get it to follow my lead instead of it going up at the last second. Who knows when I could count on it or not?

The door was left open and two familiar faces walked in, seemingly distracted by something they had seen before stopping in front of us. But that wasn't what I focused on. Both of them were pretty covered in sand. "Zidane? Quina? What happened to the two of you?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Zidane answered, clearly annoyed about his current sandy state as he tried to empty his vest and gloves of sand. "Those two didn't look too happy. Wonder what's up with them." He asked, pointing a thumb to the soldiers that left as he tried to shake the sand away.

"Maybe they no find tasty food." The Qu added as she also tried to remove sand from her apron pockets. Though the mention of food made Zidane roll his eyes.

"They were looking for a fight with Vivi here if that's what you're wondering, Zidane. Cooler heads prevailed though." I summed up what had just happened for the new though there's no one threatening him anymore, he still looked uneasy and kept close to me. "No one's gonna hurt you, Vivi, especially those guys. I'm gonna be here with you until they start to understand that you won't hurt 'em."

"Plus, you haven't used my old lesson yet. That should scare any bully away." Zidane remembered. Yeah…I don't think that should be enough. "Or you could use your magic to scare them." No! That would only make it worse!

"Sound like bad idea." Quina chimed in as she closed the door behind her. Exactly! That's like saying 'I don't wanna fight you' while pointing a knife at the guy threatening you.

"Anyway, we just came here to see if you're awake." Zidane said, finally getting to why he was here. "Was wondering if you'd still be out after what had happened all day. Wouldn't blame you though since you deserve the rest."

I nod in agreement, trying to wind up my arm and shoulder to try and get rid of the soreness there. It's still there, but not much, and it'll probably take a day or two of rest to properly get it out of my system. "Yeah. Apparently, you guys don't look too sore like me."

Zidane was about to say something when the oracle came up again, this time with a warm smile as she used the stick she had smacked the Burmecian earlier for support. "Ah, you have returned. Have you considered to be guided around the town?" Oh that. We did kinda skip that part since we wanted our rest pretty bad.

"I was thinking about it since Quina really wants to know where to find food." Zidane's mention of food made the Qu groan and rub her belly. "I know, I know. We're just here to see if Alyssa and Vivi want to come with."

It's a good idea to be generally knowledgeable about the town you're new in, especially for Zidane and the others. I already know the major parts of the town through my game experience, but it sure wouldn't hurt having a review of the place again. With that in mind, I agree to the yellow-tailed thief's offer. The inn's forest oracle introduced herself once again before prompting us to follow her around the settlement.

Forest Oracle Kildea showed us where they get their water and how they managed to maintain it throughout the years with a brief engineering lesson. Then she leads us to where the center of Cleyra is. It had a number of buildings around it and a nice big gazeebo in the center with a few Cleyrans and Burmecians taking a load off here. The Settlement Square, which was the name given to this space, was quite open and is probably where most of the citizens gather. Some of the Burmecians stared at Vivi while Kildea is pointing out key locations where we can get items and food here. At least the Cleyrans were more subtle about their mumblings about Vivi's presence instead of plain glaring.

Anyway, we found ourselves in the observatory. It was in the edge of the settlement and had smaller gazeebos with comfy chairs used to relax and pray in thanks for the protection of the sandstorm. It'd probably be more relaxing if they had a nice view here, but I guess the sandstorm is a nice view as it gets. Our last stop is at the top where the Cathedral is located. Kildea shares that this is where the High Priest of Cleyra and the King of Burmecia reside, which means Freya is inside, busy informing the king until she hears about a certain someone get attacked. She also informs us about the harp that is powered by a magical stone, the very thing that keeps the sandstorm around.

The moment Kildea ended the tour and thanked us once again for helping many of her brethren escape death in Burmecia, Quina bolted back to the square with her tongue flying by her cheek to chow down on food. Zidane was quick to catch up to her while we were left there staring back at them. He's supposed to see if Freya's done with her meeting, but I guess that'll have to wait. Or maybe…

"Wanna see if Freya's done in the Cathedral?" I nudged Vivi. He gives the large building with its purple roof one look before nodding to me.

We didn't get anywhere when the door leading into the inner sanctum of the Cathedral was blocked off by two Forest Oracles standing side by side each other, sharing a bit of a chat until they saw us coming. I hope we weren't interrupting an important talk between them.

"Excuse us, we were told our friend Freya was here. We're just wondering how long she'd be in there." I asked the two Oracles.

One of them turned to the door towards the inner sanctum as if to listen for an ongoing conversation. I tried it too, but I couldn't hear anything but just a quiet hallway. She looked back to me after a few seconds and answered, "Unfortunately, they are still occupied. However, Lady Freya had informed me convey a message for Master Zidane Tribal."

"He was just here a minute ago," Vivi said, pointing outside. Pretty sure he's physically holding back Quina's hunger by now. He might appreciate having the temporary title of 'Master' though. "But we're his friends and we thought we could see Freya."

"I see. Very well, Lady Freya wanted this message to be given to Master Zidane and his friends." She cleared her throat and adjusted her posture. "Zidane! This might take some time, so please wait at the inn!"

Aside from the shouting, it was a good impression of Freya. If the Oracle was wearing orange I might actually think she's real the deal. Give the lady her props.

Since Freya is still busy, we joined up with Zidane and Quina at the Settlement Square. We ignored as many glares as we could before finding the two by a stand close to the main gazeebo. Quina was already three bowls deep in what looked like a mix of a salad and soup with berries floating at the top. Despite how this dish looked like a wet salad, Quina's enjoying it enough to go for a fourth one while Zidane's making his only bowl last. The sight of them eating made me hungry, so I ordered for one bowl while I stood beside Zidane.

"We checked up on our dragon knight friend and she's still busy." I informed our group leader as I sided up next to him. That only made him shrug as he sipped on his wet salad.

"Guess they have a lot of catching up to do. Fair enough since she hasn't been to Burmecia in years and now they need her." Zidane said as he put down his bowl.

"So…what do we do now?" Vivi asked as he requested a serving of his own. That made the others stop for a bit. I merely sipped on the wet salad as I scanned their reactions since I already knew my answer for that, one that they didn't have to know just yet. It's something I want to talk about, only I need to find an appropriate time for it. But not now since it's going to be a bit hectic later throughout the rest of the day.

Side note: this wet salad thing is pretty good. What is this thing called anyway?

"Well…waiting is pretty much all we can do." Zidane responded before taking another mouthful of the soup. "We're here and this place pretty much looks safe."

Guess this is as good as a time to suggest a few things.

"Is it though?" I whisper after I give the settlement a good look. "I hate to play devil's advocate, but as much as I want to believe this sandstorm can keep Alexandria away, what's stopping them from brute forcing their way in or finding a way to get the sandstorm to go away?"

The only reason why Cleyra becomes vulnerable for an attack is because the jewel powering the sandstorm somehow stopped working after its strengthening ceremony. A bit too convenient if you ask me. There's a lot of things that could explain it and I'm not too sure about which one was confirmed to have an actual hand to it happening. Could be the jewel just lost its luster after a long time or there was something small they missed that affected the result of the dance.

I'm more in the camp of it happening because Freya took part in it. Not that I'm blaming her for everything that will happen to Cleyra, but maybe because she's not officially the type of person trained to officially do the dance in the ceremony even though the game showed she can do it perfectly. Like she's the only anomaly in the group of dancers. Still there's no proof of that being the cause. Put all that under the speculation category.

So what I have in mind is to not have her be in the dance. I'll probably try to figure out how I can get her out of it later.

"Relax. That's not gonna happen." Zidane tried to counter my attitude with his nonchalant tone.

"Can we even do anything if they do try to get in?" Vivi asked.

"We fight." Quina responded through her sloppy slurping of the soup.

"Not just fight. We have to prepare," I added to her sentiment. "There's still a chance that they're gonna find a way in even if it's very small."

"Seeing the people living here, I don't think anyone who retreated from Burmecia would be able to fight." Zidane pointed out. He did have a point there. Mostly everyone in Cleyra looked like they were pacifists.

"I'm still holding out hope that it'll only take some convincing from Freya or their king to get them all equipped to the teeth." I take a small sip. "Or as equipped we can get anyone willing to stand guard." No offense to the Cleyrans, but I don't even know if they have any weapons laying around if the oracle who helped us earlier was only armed with a stick.

Our yellow-tailed leader nodded. "If someone here can get everyone together and fight for a single cause, it'd be their king. They're not gonna let them have a repeat of what happened to their city so soon."

"We talk with king?" Quina looked up at us for the first time with a wonderful question. Zidane and I shrugged. It's definitely an option we can take if we have time.

"Maybe we can ask Freya for some of the king's time when she's out here with us." Vivi suggested to us as his eyes scanned the contents of the bowl he was just handed.

While I let that sink in, I look at Zidane and wonder how I could properly address the elephant in the room for the two of us and probably get the others in it as well. He's even giving me a look, like he already knows what I'm thinking about, as he puts down his own bowl. It's still a touchy subject and I've promised Zidane an explanation since Lindblum. Any time I'm able to avoid getting into it is because of how convenient it is that we're always busy with fighting black mages, mind-controlled masters, and a certain elite general. Now we have a bit of free time and I'm sure that look is more of a silent question to see if now's the time for it.

I can pretend that it's not the time and dodge it as much as I can. That'll only make him want more answers and make me feel worse about the whole thing if I choose to do that. There's also the choice of basically unloading everything I know about what he heard and then some. The problem becomes knowing where to start, how to make sense of it all, and prove that it's true.

What if he doesn't believe me? Worst-case scenario, he gets me confined in an asylum. Best-case? We get Cleyra to exist after Brahne's attack and then help out the world.

Sighing, I finish the rest of my bowl and just go for it by nudging him. "I think it's time," I whisper.

He takes a second to figure out what I'm talking about since it came from out of nowhere. He puts down his bowl and places a big amount of gil on the table for the server to see. "Food's on me, guys. Alyssa and I will be walking around for a bit."

"Quina, if anyone starts any trouble with Vivi, eat them." I say loud enough for anyone in a soldier outfit to hear.

"Got it!" Her affirmative was met with the sound of a dozen or so people stepping back. Sure they're not gonna be tasty, but it sure would be one hell of a message for messing with her friends.

Zidane and I walked with silence between us. He's probably waiting for me to lay it all on him while I'm trying to find a good spot for us to have some privacy. I found one over by the observatory in the other side of the settlement. Good thing the place is small because it might've taken some time if Cleyra was actually city-sized. I took the seat facing the storm, seeing the wind blow and bend around the tree protectively, while Zidane chose to keep standing.

"I've been avoiding it for a while now, but I guess I can give some details." I began. It felt like a good start when Zidane nodded without looking too judgmental about it. "I'm sorry for taking this long to say something about it, but it was kinda hard to find the right time for this. That argument you heard between me and Blake, it's a bit hard to explain in-depth, but the basic premise is that we know a bunch of stuff that people wouldn't normally know."

He raised an eyebrow at what I said. "Do you mean like secret information about treasure or some rich guy's pricey collection? Or do you mean like illegal stuff from the black market. That last one kinda makes Blake a wanted criminal more than that little push he gave to that girl back in Alexandria."

I shook my head before I could elaborate. "Nothing like that. It's not something you can physically steal from someone or buy at a high price. I mean like events. Stuff that happens. HAD happened. WILL happen."

I could see Zidane's mind working its magic as he looked at me with a face that was part confused and part surprised. "So…you knew about Burmecia getting attacked?" I had to nod since I'm being truthful, but that doesn't change the fact that I could've done something about it. "What else did you know?"

"Basically everything from you guys kidnapping Dagger to right now." I confessed. "Not the exact details though. Just the main points. Also not counting this part. This whole conversation wasn't supposed to happen."

"What does that mean? Do you mean I wasn't supposed to find out?"

"It's…complicated." He eyed me for a second before sighing. I'm not ready to cross that threshold just yet.

"And when you said 'will happen', does that also mean you know what happens next." Again, I nod, prompting him to take a seat across from me. "All this time we could've at least been ahead in preventing the assault in Freya's hometown."

"If I told you or Regent Cid about this before, would you guys have believed me? Just imagine me walking up to the regent and say 'Alexandria's gonna attack Burmecia. We have to stop Queen Brahne.' No one's gonna take me seriously."

"I would have." He looks at me and his eyes could have not looked more sincere if they tried. "You're my friend, Alyssa. I would've believed you even if you didn't have proof. I believed you when you said you'd explain eventually and I still believe you right now."

"Not everyone's gonna be like you, Zidane." But I do appreciate the honesty. Makes me glad that I'm talking to him about this. "Some people are not gonna believe me at first and some will use it for their advantage. That's why Blake didn't want anyone to know about this. He's afraid that someone would use what we know for their own benefit."

"This is a lot to take in though. Should I be looking forward to anything like seeing Dagger or is there anything else bad in our futures?"

"Dagger's fine. She's safe." In a way she is, but Zidane's better off not knowing the specifics of her current situation. "But there's a whole lot of bad ahead of us. That's why I tried to do something about it."

"Which is?"

"Hoping the letter I wrote to Regent Cid would be believable enough so he could help us out."

He tilted his head, a small frown forming on his face. "What happened to thinking the Regent wouldn't take you seriously?"

"That was before I had enough of Blake." I slumped against the chair after being reminded of that argument in the infirmary, my eyes now focusing on the gazeebo's ceiling. The thought of our disagreement made my eyebrows cross together. "He didn't care about anything but going home. Not Lindblum, not Burmecia, not any of us. Blake's content on watching by the sidelines and letting everything pass him by, letting everything happen as it would. If he can just…" I didn't know how I could end that without revealing too much, so it pretty much became a frustrated groan.

I didn't hate the guy. He's the only person I know from real life and my friend, even if he didn't see me that way. We just… don't agree on something very important. The guy is reckless and sometimes too clever for his own good. He's just looking at things the wrong way. He thinks that everyone in Gaia should follow the script with the thought that if everything is the same as it was in the game then it should lead us back to reality. Anything off-the-rails would derail his hopes of getting home.

"And that's why you guys were arguing back in Linbdlum. You didn't see eye to eye about how to use this info." I confirmed with a slow nod since I was too busy looking at the ceiling. Peering down to see what he thought about he, his face was basically asking me to elaborate. But I've already said too much.

"Like I said before, it's very complicated." I tried to sidestep the issue. "I can't explain everything just yet. I hope you understand."

But Zidane looked like he knew what he wanted to say. "Well, you've already given him a piece of your mind about what you guys should do, right?" Again I nod. "If he disagrees then it's his problem." His conclusion to what I should do made me look at him to try and understand what he'd just said. "You can make your own decisions, Alyssa. You don't always need to run it by someone else before you do it. Sure Blake's gonna judge what you do with it, but that doesn't mean he should control what you want to do."

His belief in my decision brought a smile to my face. I actually needed that. Ever since Blake and I found ourselves in Gaia, he's been busy shooting down my opinion of what we should do because he's "the brains" between the two of us. Maybe if he believed in me more he'd understand where I'm coming from about this whole thing. I'm sure he's gonna have a head-splitting migraine the moment he learns of the possible changes I've made.

"Don't worry about what he thinks. If he gets pushy, I'll be there to back you up." With a thump of his chest, he smiles broadly at me. He definitely knew how to make a girl happy. Guess that lovable rogue charm of his carries some weight.

"Thanks, Zidane." I returned his smile with a small one. It's nice to be able to talk about this, even if I'm only saying a fraction about it, but it helps lift that weight off my shoulders just for now.

Now that we've had a bit of a heart to heart, it felt like that was a good point to end it on. Maybe I can find the courage to fully explain that I'm from another world later if we have the time after the whole Cleyra and Lindblum fiasco later. For now I suggested we get back to the others in case Quina ate too much or if the threat of being eaten wasn't enough for the Burmecians to lay off Vivi's case.

\- Blake -

Our brief visit to the weapons shop to update our weaponry with stronger, better ones (and sell our older ones) was quick despite my inability to stand straight, talk normally, and pull out my dagger without dropping it. Steiner had to take my weapon from out of my hands before I hurt anyone and a new Mythril Dagger replaced it. Dagger now has an Air Racket on her back, which prompted a bit of practice for her before making the purchase official, and Steiner is now equipped with a Mythril Sword. They picked out another sword for Marcus as well.

Speaking of the thief, he was waiting for us outside of the shop. I know because I bumped into him and he had to hold me still before I careened off the side of the pathway and down to the waterway below. He handed over some of the items we needed refilling to Dagger and gave me a canteen filled with water to help combat the alcohol in my system. We actually didn't have any reason to see the synthesis shop because the time we have didn't allow us to wait for the synthesis process. This is according to the guy inside. Usually it would take a half a day to finish any synthesis. At least we checked.

Still I suggested to walk around some more and see a few more of the sights. Dagger is happy enough to point out what interested her, leading us closer to the direction of Doctor Tot's tower. All this walking is actually helping in sobering me up if the amount of sweat I've been producing was a sign. Besides, I need to pull myself together before heading up that tower. Falling and rolling down the stairs due to being drunk is the least of my worries. However, the encounter in Gargan Roo currently tops that.

As we passed the Card Stadium and a few local establishments some nobles frequent, I steered our architecture-loving princess over to a mansion by a small lake. The entrance looked nothing out of the ordinary in terms of fanciness. It was the rest of the mansion that interested Dagger due to the outer walls making it look like a giant canary cage. I was already walking towards it and digging into my pockets to get the Stellazios ready.

I bumped into the door just as I managed to pull out the Stellazios. Before I could knock on the door and request to come in, it opens slowly as if it knew I was there. That was not the case though. Even in my inebriated state, the cloaked individual that exited the door and passed me was almost enough to get me sober.

"Tick tock, tick tock, my child." Her voice was soft and almost missable if your attention was elsewhere. She passed the others without comment. However, they noticed my stare towards Meguro as she vanished into the night.

"Someone you know?" Dagger asked. I dumbly nodded before I could form any reasonable explanation. Fortunately, she just accepted the answer and helped me past the door without bumping into it again.

We were immediately greeted by Queen Stella's assistant, who regaled us about Stella's massive addiction to collecting the 'most exquisite and unique items known to Gaia', while showing us the way to her main room. Each room we passed had a lot of stuff that's probably expensive to own. There were some interesting items like a massive portrait of an airship with a beautiful sunset and an armory of weapons to the weird like a gorgon-esque statue with emeralds for eyes and a room of creatures we heard growling through a reinforced door.

Queen Stella is a pretty swell individual, though I still have to get used to non-humans, but I think being drunk helped hide the surprise. She was delighted to see that I brought her some of the precious Stellazios, a lost collection of unique coins that tell a story with each coin. Dagger seemed to brighten at hearing this factoid about them, but I could tell her the entire story later if she wants. The Queen rewarded me with a handsome amount of gil and an encased Phoenix Pinion feather, which she reminds me to be a fairly rare commodity in Gaia.

Thankful for the rewards, I put the feather and gil in my item bag. Steiner, ever the goal-oriented person (most of the time), reminded us that the tower door should be unlocked by now.

After a five minute walk, further improving my sobriety and adding to my increasingly wet undershirt, we reached the tower entrance and ascended up the staircase to meet the very knowledgeable doctor. Dagger is the first to meet him in his lovely abode with the incredible view, numerous book cases with books of various sizes, an improvised observatory that looks like Gaia, and his telescope. I just have to say that Dr. Tot is quite the tiny man. He's virtually half my size with a nose that brings people to shame. I'm as surprised of his look as he is surprised as seeing a third person accompanying the princess.

"And who might this lad be?" He peered past the man in armor standing in front of him. Nero and I stood at the top of the staircase taking in the sight of the inner tower. Thankfully, I'm have most of my senses with me at this point.

"Blake Skylark, traveling salesman. This little one is Nero. We've been traveling with them since Lindblum." I shook his hand as I introduced myself and my pet. "Heard that these guys saw you when they were trying to rob someone. Good thing nothing bad came of that."

Dr. Tot nodded just as Marcus retrieved the item he is looking for from the doctor's desk. "Fortunately I had what the princess is looking for. No harm done." Then he turns over to the small chocobo standing beside me. "What do we have here? A black feathered chocobo? You don't see a lot of these types in every day. He looks particularly healthy and primed for an excellent growth in the coming weeks. I hope you feed him well. It makes me think that I should also try to research more about the other types of chocobos in my free time if I can. There might be scholars interested in chocobo research somewhere…"

Okay, calm down, Gavin Free. Let's try not to freak out the bird with your slipping, scattered inner monologue.

"You've certainly not changed since we last saw each other." Dagger smiled at the small man's familiar antics. Her gaze wanders over to the giant globe sitting at the center of the room. "The globe of our planet. I remember all your lessons."

"You remember the ramblings of an old fool." He chuckled as he walked over to one of his desks, taking a book from it and opening it. Dagger and Steiner were curious and looked over his shoulder. I couldn't help myself and was right behind them, only to see that they were looking at an old photo book. The doctor looked almost the same from the one standing in the photo beside a much younger Princess Garnet. "You were such a curious child when you were younger. You would absorb any book you could get your hands on like a sponge. Though initially you were not a big fan of books."

"Yes, but it was because of my love for the play I Want to be Your Canary that convinced me to start reading them." Dagger reminisced. Ah yes, this part is their flashback scene.

While I let them relive part of their past, I tried to scan some of the doctor's past works and collected books. A lot of them were research on the planet, journals about Eidolons, and some books about medicine from what I saw. Pretty broad coverage if you ask me. Maybe he has a book about basic knowledge on chocobos. That would be definitely helpful as little Nero continues to grow.

Dr. Tot and Dagger climbed up to the massive diorama of the globe to take a look at the stars in the night while exchanging their past experiences about his time in Alexandria. Dagger doesn't know it yet but the only reason she wants to talk to her mother is because she wants the old Queen Brahne back, the one who took care of her during their time of grief and the mother who cared for her people and kingdom. Not the one about to wage a war. She is only focused on having those old memories be her current reality. It's because of her naïve ideal that will bring her a lot of pain in the future.

Well, that's what I see anyway. Who in their right mind would accept a world where it is vastly different from a time they are happy?

"You want a pencil and some paper to write your thoughts down?" Marcus' interjection by waving a pencil in front of my face, which was something I didn't appreciate. "If you think Dagger's being foolish in this whole 'go back home and talk to mom' thing then why won't you talk her out of it?"

I frowned in annoyance at his statement. "You do know who we're talking about, right? She believes she can do this and she started out by knocking out the others with sleeping weed just to get away. If I do manage to talk her out of it, which I know will be impossible at this point, there's a certain determined knight who wants to bring her back home just to keep her safe."

The blue thief raised an eyebrow, or looked like he did if it wasn't for the bandana hiding it, at what I had just said. "At this point? We're not even close to being at Alexandria. We might have to spend the night in an airship just to get there." Spending some time in an airship does sound a bit calming compared to what actually happens. You get a nice view and a comforting seat to sleep on for the next few hours. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.

I felt something push me against the desk. When I turn around I see Steiner standing there glaring down at me. "What do you mean that the princess is being foolish? Is it foolish to return home in a dangerous time like this?"

"No, that's common sense. I get that. Unfortunately, for Her Highness, home is where it's dangerous right now." I argued with the knight in a lower voice as to not interrupt the doctor's time with Dagger. "Let's be honest here. Her thinking that she can talk down the queen from her position in this 'war' is a fool's errand. She's naïve to think that. But my opinion isn't really held in high regard here, especially by you."

Marcus stepped in before Steiner would argue and state his loyalty to his queen. "Let's just hope you're wrong then."

"Guys!" The three of us look up the pair of ladders leading to the globe. Dagger was waving at us. "Dr. Tot has a way to get us to Alexandria faster!"

That was the kind of news our beloved captain was excited to hear, but not as excited to know that Marcus will still be coming along. While they were arguing as they are traveling down the ladder leading to the underground passage, I grab Nero and place him in my sling. I couldn't help but look at the princess as we were waiting for Dr. Tot to climb down before she does.

"Are you sure you still want to go home?" I ask her. The question probably came so suddenly since this is the only time I brought it up. I know I was too busy trying to find ways to kill her or stop her from getting to this point. At least I can get this civil attempt out of the way before it is way too late. "There's no turning back once we go down this ladder."

"When we are this close, there is no double guessing about this anymore." Dagger answered with a hint of determination in her voice. I could only sigh, thinking why I even bothered asking when I already knew the answer.

Climbing down the ladder to Gargan Roo should have been accompanied by the Snake Eater theme. Perhaps it was just me and my lack of a second capable arm for this very task, but it took me awhile to get down. Once all of us were down there, Dr. Tot started explaining the function of the transportation route of this ancient tunnel. He explained that this tunnel has been kept intact in case for emergencies like this. Talk about being prepared. Then we started to hear him mumble something about a 'sequence trigger'. Hearing the guy who knows about this place start doing that should get anyone worried.

Our first goal was to find the switches that begins the sequence trigger. It sounds simple, yet the big thing that complicates it is the presence of the Mist. It will eventually have monsters spawn here. Since it is our first time here we decided to stick together despite the two pathways leading to two sides of the passage just to play it safe.

I suggested we go to the left side pathway and explore it first. Before we could even step on the left platform, we hear some buzzing sounds and it appeared to be close, making everyone but me and the doctor to draw out their weapons. A pair of pale insects flew up from beneath the Mist past the platform and attacked. Good thing they had good reflexes or the Dragonflies would have broken through and hit Dr. Tot and I. Marcus, however, was quicker on the draw and managed to cut at the wings of the attackers, making it easier to take down. Dagger used the practice she had earlier to hit the other Dragonfly, getting him in a reasonable height to be cut down the remaining monster.

"Over there! The sequence trigger for the Gargant." Dr. Tot pointed the left-most part of the platform. When we got there he began explaining how to use this very switch that summons the Gargant. Since he is the only one who understands this system aside from me, he simply told Dagger to pull down the lever and watch. There this bug-like noise that started to echo towards our position. The source started to appear through the Mist. A bright brown creature that looked like a massive ant/ traveling upside-down on the tunnel's natural vines with a carriage hanging off it.

The creature passed our platform, but after a few seconds it passed us again. The circuit of its route is already turned to circle around the track until the lever is pulled down again. Dr. Tot hurried past us, explaining we need to stop the Gargant so we can ride it. We followed him and watch him stop it with a simple flick of a switch at the opposite end of the platform. This brought down a container in front of the Gargant's path. When it saw the container it slowed down until it was stopped right next to it so it could dig in.

"Please hurry. It'll resume once it is finished eating." The doctor didn't have to tell me twice.

I was the first to step on the carriage and sit down. Nero happily tweeted at me as I placed him on my lap and held him in place. Dagger followed onto the carriage, an aura of nervousness could be felt around her. Marcus was right behind her and he didn't have any problem with this strange vehicle we're using. He's probably used to strange things now. Steiner, however, shared a few words with Dagger's former mentor that had him giving the princess a glance. Once they were done he hopped on just on time as the container was starting to go up.

The Gargant then started moving. It didn't take long for the creature to move away from the circuit around the Treno passage once Dr. Tot managed to activate the lever that allows it to leave.

Everyone was excited in different levels now that we are making progress towards Alexandria. Dagger was waving farewell to Doctor Tot, shouting thanks as well for the help he provided as well as this new means of transportation. I was thankful I had a comfortable seat and that the alcohol in my system is almost gone. All I can say is that I'm surprised this day hasn't ended yet. I slumped against the provided seat in the carriage the Gargant is carrying and held Nero close. Don't want to have him fly off into the Mist-covered ground below.

The Gargant is one hell of a fast driver. I'm surprised no one uses them anymore as an alternate to the airships everyone uses. The guy or company to monopolize on Gargants and expand their reach would be a millionaire. Gaia can have another way of transportation that doesn't require Mist. Sure Regent Cid will develop engines that do just that, that will only improve their common transport vehicle. With an underground vehicle they can further improve the means of travel and provide the people with a good alternative.

Though the problem with using Gargants and the underground passages is finding more of them. I'm not sure how many Gargants there are in the world anyway. Plus, they will have to expand the passages to make sure it can reach all of the kingdoms as well as the other continents we will discover in the future. Since I'm not a man with heavy pockets, I can leave this idea for someone who can actually do it. For now, I'll just try to survive this world and find a way home.

Just as the others were starting to get comfortable in the carriage, content that we had left Treno in the dust and are fast tracking to Alexandria with the Gargant's impeccable speed, we are suddenly holding to our seats when our vehicle started to slow down until it wasn't moving anymore. As we wondered what was happening, the creature carrying us seemed to give a cry of hesitation as it started to back up.

Dagger is the first to notice the source of the creature's worries. She pointed her finger through the Mist that caused everyone else to look. A silhouette of a tall and long figure wiggling in place started approaching. Its features started to become more prominent as it cleared the Mist. Pink skin with a faded orange underbelly was the main color of this worm-like monster. Its head reminded me of a gas mask, only this thing's eyes were webbed together and hid an almost cyan color. Its length could easily be used to wrap around its prey.

Great now my mind has thoughts about anacondas. Now there's no way in hell I'm willingly jumping in there.

The second boss fight of the day comes in the form of the Ralvurahva. Geez, try saying that five times straight. Not sure if it is interested in eating the Gargant or us or both, but it being in the way meant only one thing. Everyone's going to fight it until it dies or gets out of the way. And it looks like the heir to Alexandria's throne is thinking of fighting it.

"No. wait. Let's think this through." I attempted get her to stop as Steiner climbed out to follow.

"Maybe if you put more deadpan in your voice they would've listened." Marcus said. I just shrugged since fighting was the main thing she had planned the moment we saw it. "Alright, just stay here and keep the seats warm. We'll see if this thing is as tough as it looks."

"As if you're going to get me out there to fight that thing." I pointed at the pink monster with my good arm.

For some reason I felt this weird sensation that became more noticeable by the second. The feeling came with a bright glow that seemed to come from my side. When I looked I discovered that my left hand was covered in a yellow glow and the warm feeling was actually from the chains all over my forearm. Beyond my hand I could a single line extending forward until I could see it wrapped around the Ralvurahva.

The sight of the bracer working made me want to cheer and shout. I've been trying to make it work for most of the afternoon and now it was working again! Even though I didn't know how it happened, I'm just glad that I'm able to use it right now. I should actually try to figure out what I can do with this—THIIIIING!

"What the— Hey, where are you going!?" Marcus called out to me as I found myself flying in the air.

Okay, so picture this. Think of Spider-Man not knowing how his powers work and trying various hand signs like in the first movie. Then web comes out, sticks to a wall at a far roof, and it suddenly pulls him to it. That is exactly what's happening to me, except replace the spider powers with yellow magic chains. The worst of it all is that I'm flying towards the Ralvurahva!

Nothing stopped me from screaming as I sailed over the heads of Dagger and Steiner in a matter of three seconds. The travel between the Gargant's carriage and the Ralvurahva ended with a loud smack as my body impacted against the giant worm's body. My lungs were drained of air and my eyesight was filled with stars as I felt like I was hanging in the air with my entire body weight forced on one arm.

"Blake, are you okay?" Dagger cried as she approached.

"Have you gone insane!? What are you doing there, you miscreant!?" Steiner drew his sword as the massive pink worm loomed over them.

I struggled to get some semblance of balance and control while answering sarcastically, "Oh you know, just hanging around?"

Apparently the Ralvu—oh forget it. It's too much of a mouthful. I'll just call it the Ralra. It didn't like my pun and started to attack by whipping its head back and unleashing this damp string. Dagger and Steiner ran out of their spots to avoid being caught in the web. It was only a short burst so it was done by the time Steiner had charged forward. It took the slash very well, but didn't like the feeling of cold steel so naturally it slid away from future cuts.

It dangled me from where its neck would be if it had one as it moved, but stopped when Marcus stood in front of it with his sword raised. The Ralra reacted by switching directions, its body smacking against the bandana-wearing thief with its body. With him briefly recovering from that last hit, the Ralra circled around him and tried to plant a bit wet one, only for Marcus to react at the very last minute with the flat side of his sword. He was able to land a punch in its eyes as they were pushing for control. It was damaging enough to make the Ralra pull away to recover for a bit.

Unfortunately for me, even though I wasn't being actively targeted, I'm not particularly safe either since this thing is dragging me over the ground. As much as I wanted to let go the chains aren't exactly allowing me to get away. The moment it stopped pulling me I tried to get away from its underbelly and to a safer place like its back. It proved to be hard to get some semblance of control with just one hand, but I desperately kicked at its underbelly and needlessly bounced on it until I found myself on its back. I guess I'm safe from being dragged around for now.

"Everyone, we have to protect the Gargant!" Dagger declared when she noticed the Ralra inching its way closer to our ride.

Steiner was the first to react to the princess' orders by stabbing at the closest part of the Ralra. It hissed in pain and reflexively shot web in Steiner's general area. Marcus slipped in from under its head and slashed at its underbelly while its attention was focused on the knight. It then wrapped around him as retaliation, constricting around his body and pressing harder with the intention to squeeze him like a pimple. No one is dying like a pimple on my watch!

I took out my dagger and just went to town on its back, slashing and stabbing as if the spot I was aiming had the Black Waltz's face on it. It was enough divert its attention on me when I felt being hit and thrown off it. I didn't go far, but it was painful to hit the ground rolling. As least I haven't broken anything yet.

A cool, bright feeling washed over me and I felt the soreness in my body go away for a bit but most of the pain is still there. I see Dagger from the edge of my eye focusing her white magic on us while Steiner assists Marcus in pushing back the massive pink worm. Whenever it would slither to one side, one of them would block it and swing their sword. Repeat this until it shot its web, causing the two swordsmen to jump back to avoid being caught, and backed off a bit to direct its attention to me and Dagger.

Dagger began pulling me away from the charging Ralra. I could hear Steiner shouting at the beast to stay away from the princess just as it overtook us and blocked off our path. She tried to lead me to a different direction, only for the Ralra to block path as well. It proved to be too fast when it attacked us. I pushed Dagger out of the way and it got me pecked off my feet, its face impacting against my entire upper body and sent me rolling on the ground.

Multiple things happened when I tried to get back up to my feet. I felt the room shaking even when I was stock still, my eyesight was foggy, and parts of my body was starting to feel numb. I tried moving my left hand, only to have my right hand move against the sling. Combine the disorientation with my stomach wanting to empty its contents and it results in a bad time.

The struggle to fully get back in the action cost me when I was smacked once again into the ground. As if one kiss from this thing was bad enough. I feel doubly disgusted at the thought and would have thrown up if I didn't feel so sore. I manage to see Steiner get webbed as he stood in front of Dagger, protecting her from the sticky liquid that is now holding him in place. She guided me away from the fight while I can hear Marcus shouting at the worm behind us.

The princess knelt beside me and held her Rod close when we were safe, mouthing something as white light started gathering around her. With a wave of it the light transfer over to me and I start to feel better from the nausea.

"Thanks." I managed after taking a few calming breaths. The room was still moving abruptly, but at least my stomach stopped churning and I could move the correct limbs again. "Whatever happens, don't let that thing kiss you. It's disgusting and sickening. Literally sickening."

"I'll keep that in mind," she says as she turns to the battle. "But it's not over yet."

As I was getting back up on my feet, blinking continuously to get the room to steady, I noticed that my left hand didn't have the yellow glow anymore, meaning the chains around the Ralra were gone. Okay, at least I can think of plan before trying to make it work again. With the Ralra always moving and being slippery, it's going to be hard landing critical hits on it. The game doesn't exactly have the player kill it, just hit it enough times to scare it off. If we can manage to get it to stop moving so much then we should be able to hack away at it until it no longer wants to eat the Gargant we are using. But how…?

The Ralra was slithering this way again, probably with the intention of planting another sick one on either Dagger or I. It got past the thief and was about to strike me again when I raised my hands to block. As futile as it was, I felt my prayers be answered when my left hand felt warm again for a second and I felt being pulled up faster than the Ralra trying to smack its face into mine. The magic chains had reached up above us to something pointy and pulled me towards the ceiling.

But as fast as I realized this, it vanished again and left me hanging in the air for a few milliseconds, almost reminiscent of Wile E. Coyote, before letting gravity do its work.

I didn't get that high up anyway, so my descent and landing was fast yet still painful. Thankfully, I landed on the Ralra's head and rolled down its back. Being this high up when my eyes still can't reorient to the cave's actual steadiness made me feel worse. I managed to confuse the monster enough to let Dagger escape any potential danger and have Steiner come in for the attack.

"Get off that thing before it kills ya!" Marcus bellowed. But I was too busy staring at the bracer around my left forearm and then the ground. It took a second, but the gears in my head started to turn.

"I think I have an idea!" I held on to the Ralra's back by wrapping both my legs around it as much as I can and stabbing into it as I tried to look around. There really weren't any nearby walls here in the underground passageway, so I guess the floor will have to do.

As I was struggling to hold on, I willed the bracer to work again. I may have not been able to get a specific feeling when it activated, but I can plead to all the gods in heaven just to make it work. The longer I have to be on this thing becomes more regrettable as I have to enact the idea I have in mind.

I tried to focus my mind and energy on the powers-that-be for the magic to work, only for whatever part of me that has that power to ignore me. Shaking it while trying to hold on, hoping it would scramble whatever magic circuits it has to randomly use to function didn't turn out a positive result as well. That just leaves one more thing I can try…

"Please work, I beg of you!" I shouted into the arm guard. "Please, please, please, please, please, please let me use the chains!" When I tried to put on my best attempt at puppy dog eyes, all the arm guard did was stare back and do nothing.

Everyone else was struggling to keep the attention of the Ralra and avoid getting webbed, headbutted, or slammed. Steiner and Marcus tried to help each other by stopping the Ralra's attempt to plant another Devil's Kiss, only for both of their blades to stop it in its tracks. Dagger came at its side and smacked a perfect swing at its eye, causing it to recoil in pain. It immediately came back with a swing of its head at Dagger. Steiner was there to take the hit for her, but she didn't fully escape its wrath when it came back around for a second attempt.

Marcus had rolled out of its range and barely dodged it from smashing its head against him. What he didn't know was it was spewing web as it attempted this, causing his back to stick to the ground in mid-roll. It left him very open to a headbutt, causing the ground to crack from the impact. Dagger tried her best to Cure him, however that was proving difficult when she is being attacked.

Damn this stupid magic bracer thing! If this can just work then I'd be able to help them! I don't want to be stuck on the sidelines struggling to fight off the temptation of jumping on the enemy's back since that's the only clear contribution I can make on these fights!

I had to turn away for a second when the bracer flashed a yellow light. When I looked at it I saw it giving this radiant glow, and to make it all better I could feel those chains wrap around my forearm as if telling me it was ready to be used. I would have celebrated right then and there, but the feeling of being shaken off caught me off-guard. The Ralra nearly got what it wanted, but I had accidentally gotten the bracer to wrap chains around it and it saved me from hitting the ground and kept me on the monster's back.

Okay, time to get this plan in motion already. Well, make a plan first before I can set it in motion. While I still had a hold of the Ralra and rode it as it chased the others, I looked around to get a clue on what I can do. Something I noticed is that the Ralra mostly kept its body straight aside from the coil its lower body had, probably to give it enough reach when it wants to smash its head against its target. But when Marcus dodged its attack, ran past, and jumped over its body to confuse it, the Ralra definitely could move and twist around to follow its prey.

Perhaps we can confuse it by running around and over it and create opportunities to further maim the thing? That should be a good start.

"Everyone! Try running around it randomly! Confuse it!" I shouted down to them, gesturing towards the monster's body as I tried to hold on. Marcus was the first to do it without any question, probably thinking that at least we have something to do.

"What kind of idiotic plan are you cooking up this time?" Steiner's lack of faith in my ideas is understandable, but if he has any other ideas we can do I'll gladly follow his lead.

"No time to argue! Just-whoa!" Despite the magic chain keeping on the Ralra, it suddenly rising and swinging around as it tried to get Marcus didn't help keep me falling off. I wasn't ready for it and I fell off, a scream leaving my throat, but because of the chains I instead hung underneath its head instead of hitting the ground.

It probably felt its rider unceremoniously leave his spot on its back when it stopped chasing Marcus. Panic started to fill my heart, I could already tell what it wanted to do as it swung its head left and then to the right, whipping me back and forth until I let go. Of course, letting go would be more harmful for me than just hanging around, but then I also don't want to throw up.

Before it could get any worse, something sparkly connected with the side of its head, prompting the monster to halt its head banging. Dagger stood beside Steiner, who was ready to defend the princess in case it would attack. I needed to get off this thing before I fall from a greater height. Though looking down, it would not help my legs and knees if I fall from what looked like was 16 feet. Looking at the underbelly of the beast gave me an idea, one that I prayed to the gods above would work.

So I took my dagger and stabbed at the soft underside, causing a screech to come out of the Ralra, one that could have damaged my ears due to how close I am, while I slid down and my dagger cut downwards while the chain that attached me to the monster disappearing right on cue. I didn't have an opportunity to examine the damage I put on it as I immediately started running to get away from the Ralra's wrath.

My feet lead me to the coiling portion of the Ralra's body. With the head of the monster right behind me, I ran around the coil and randomly stabbed and cut at it. If my climb down its body didn't piss it off, it sure sounded like I have now. It uncoiled faster than I realized, attempting to swat at me with its tail, and it would've hit me if it wasn't for Marcus' sword meeting it. We briefly shared a look, mine saying 'thanks' while his told me to keep moving, before separating in different directions.

I kept moving around the giant worm/snake's body, going over and under when I need to dodge its attack and Marcus did the same on his end when he's being targeted. Taking a glance over my shoulder did show that it's following us whenever we would duck of hop over it. However, even with all the fights I've taken part in this world couldn't help my stamina when I could feel my lungs start to dry up and my leg muscles start to ache. I had to make sure I was not about to be attacked before diving behind the Ralra.

Taking inventory of the situation at the moment, it seemed running all over the place while avoiding its attacks proved to be effective. It won't take too long before we can finally move one. I just need to get to phase 2 of the plan. Briefly focusing on the piece of armor around my hand and forearm, it let out a glow and the feeling of the chains enveloping it came. I touched part of the Ralra's body and felt the chains wrap around that second at least twice. When my hand pulled away, two chain links extended, maintaining a connection with the ones around the monster.

Okay, let's see how far this goes then. Gathering what breath I could get into my system, I started running again, this time not following the head as I tried surrounding the snake-like creature with the chains. If I wasn't running along the side, I was also going up and about the Ralra just to make sure the chains are everywhere.

A solid minute of running around later, I told everyone to get back. We all looked at the result of our random running and I just couldn't help but smirk. Even the Ralra's screeching couldn't wipe this off my face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Ralvurahvian Knot!" I announced and waved my hands theatrically, the glowing chains around it definitely helped the presentation.

The Ralvurahva, the pink-scaled monster that was almost as long as two Gargants, used to slither threateningly and strike hard with its gasmask-esque face. Now is not the case as my plan confused it enough to tie itself into a big pink knot. As it tried to move towards us, we kept standing in place as we watched it attempt to roll at us when it could barely move with each lunge its head made. I would be laughing if it wasn't so sad.

Oh wait, it's not! Let me remedy that. Hahaha! What a victory! Haha! It's not a useless pink ball! Ha!

"Now's not the time to be gloating." The back of Steiner's hand met my good shoulder in a slapping way. The metal in his gloves didn't make it any softer so let me say that if he did that any harder I could have lost feeling in that shoulder for an hour. But it didn't affect the elation I was feeling because I finally had this arm guard working. All that failure from this afternoon finally culminating in being able to use this! Whether it was the frustration or the desperation from the situation, I'm thankful to anything that contributed to getting this to work. Even the Ralvurahva. That's the last time I'm going to say that.

"Let's go everyone. Alexandria awaits!" Steiner announced as he made his way back to the Gargant, who is still bothered by the sight of the monster now tied up with itself and the golden chains. When we did get back on the thing's carriage, it finally moved after enough posturing, but cautiously until it passed the balled-up predator. I wasn't sure how long the chains around it would last, but it should keep it at bay until it could attempt to untangle itself. That is if it can survive its wounds.

The Gargant apparently wasn't as full of energy compared to how it stormed the platform back in Treno. It was losing speed the farther we went, now almost matching the steady speed of the cable car we used earlier. On the bright side it made for a relaxing trip.

The others were pointing it out though as I was too busy staring at the left hand bracer in glee. I kept activating its magic repeatedly until I got the hang of it, memorizing the feeling of it encasing my hand with its power and trying to think of way how to use it. I can attempt to make sense of it later when I have the time.

Our destination eventually rolled by with our very helpful driver coming to a halt by the stone platform that would receive us. It knew when every single passenger had gotten off its carriage when it started to go around the platform, its bug-like noise going off to the distance, wherever it may be. The platform we're standing it looked much worse than the one we just left. Obviously no one cared enough to make sure this one is well kept than its Treno counterpart. At the very least it wasn't collapsing right above us.

"Let's keep moving!" Dagger eagerly took the lead once again, walking into the tunnel leading to our eventual doom.

As we moved deeper into the tunnel, it opened up into a place that matched the condition of the Gargant station behind us. Dark dilapidated stones filled the very room and moss started to grow out of the sides and cracks from the walls and floor. If only it had chained bodies against the walls and disgusting rodents covering the floors then it would work as an abandoned passage. Yes, this definitely had the vibe of secret basement in person.

"From all the books you've read or your time living here all these years, Dagger, does this place look somewhat familiar to you in any way, shape, or form?" I ask as we pressed on. The others were wondering if it was really Alexandria and how we could get out.

My two cents finally registered with her highness and she answered, "No. Eerily enough this gives me the feeling of ancient ruins that we should not explore."

"Well, you're not wrong. Is there still a chance of turning back to Treno?"

"We're already here. Might as well check if this is the right place." Marcus told me as he passed me. I noticed that he had his hand on his sword hilt in case another monster popped out of nowhere.

"Wait, Steiner!" Dagger cried out to the knight, making him stop in his tracks. "I know this place!" Doctor Tot told me about this place. My ancestors built this place to keep enemies from invading."

Before anyone else could say anything else, a metal wall suddenly rose behind Steiner. It was insurmountable, the patterns on it made it an unlikely surface to climb up. Steiner was already placing the blame on me and Marcus when it became apparent there something happening that he is not aware of. I only stuck close to them and stayed at the middle without saying anything as I tried my best to deny his accusations. It seems like he could use all of these accusations and pile them up into one actual crime. Then the second wall came up and we were finally trapped in.

This was it. Jail time. I know I was not looking forward to this since I came to Gaia, but it's made exceptionally worse when I've lost any chance I had to going home just so I can maintain my future knowledge of story events. Despite the opportunity presented to me, I just felt I could not go through with it. Actual murder would not stick well with me and my flimsy attempt at talking her out going her didn't work as well. I guess today really is all about disappointment.

Zorn and Thorn emerged from the elevated platforms on both sides, looking down on us and laughing like they just heard the funniest joke in the world. If they did, they would actually drop dead. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case as they started bragging how easy it was to get us here in their trap.

"You're all under arrest." Zorn declared from his station. To make matters worse, a brigade of soldiers came running down the stairs ahead of us, all of them armed with swords and shield, ready to outnumber us if we even try anything funny.

"Zorn! Thorn!" Dagger cried to the two clowns. "I've returned to Alexandria to speak with my mother! Take me to my mother!"

Zorn nodded and chuckled with his little creepy voice. "Yes, we will take you to see Queen Brahne, whether you like it or not."

"'Capture Princess Garnet,' Queen Brahne said. Ordered us, she did." Thorn finally dropped the bomb on us, their reason why they were doing this. Both captured Alexandrians were in shock at the orders they had heard. Marcus was terribly confused about what's happening. All I could do was sigh and accept my fate.

"Drop your weapons now or we will take you down with force!" One of the soldiers shouted through the wall. I knew any form of resistance would result in a very painful beatdown. I was the first to throw my dagger down to the ground.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but that includes you as well." Another soldier spoke, this time in a calm and respectable manner. I could tell Dagger wanted to handle this diplomatically with how she looked at the two grinning clowns and the soldiers ready to receive us once the wall comes down. One of her hands was already holding to the Air Racket on her back for comfort.

"Dagger, it's no use. We have no advantage here. Just do what they say." I told her. I could see Steiner ready to argue against me, but even he should know what the inevitable result be if they do decide to take us by force. He just doesn't want to accept it until Dagger did.

When she met my eyes I could see betrayal and hurt in her eyes. There was nothing I could say to convince her that everything would be alright. If this is the first thing to greet us in our arrival, everything else would most likely end up worse. So she finally accepted it and put down her weapon by her feet. Marcus complained how this sucked, but he still followed orders and threw down his sword. Steiner, still angry at the whole revelation, pointed at the soldiers with a shaking hand.

"If a single hair is mishandled on the princess' head, I swear on my sword that there will be hell to pay." He warned before his sword met the ground and was kicked towards the wall.

The wall went down at that very moment and the soldiers closed in on us, some of them still had their swords drawn just in case while the others calmly approached us. They placed cuffs on the others to formally place them under arrest. Nero stuck by my feet due to all the threatening women surrounding us. At least they're being reasonable with me since I have a broken—

CRACK!

In a split second, I found myself on the floor with a throbbing left cheek. I would have identified who sucker punched me if the room wasn't spinning everywhere. I could hear Dagger demanding to stop the attacker and Nero chirped incessantly to try and scare them off, but it all fell on deaf ears as I felt someone grab me by my shirt and pull me up until I was partially seated. The woman was on me before I could do anything and any attempt at movement got me shaken up.

"Think you can get away with what you did?" The voice whispered angrily. It was familiar, its intensity disturbing. The hands attached to my shirt then started slamming my head against the floor. She didn't care for the words of her comrades or sharp pain in the back of my head nor for the tears that started to form at the edges of my eyes. "I'd been all kinds of hurt since you escaped a week ago. Now I'm going to pay you back tenfold." Through the tears gathering in my eyes from the pain she's dishing on my skull I could barely put together the grin gracing this girl's lips as she looked down on me. "I've been waiting for this since you escaped."

Oh…fuck. Now I wish I really did commit murder.


	32. Behind Bars and Barriers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alyssa pushes for more defenses and Blake contemplates on his first day in jail

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 31: Behind Bars and Barriers

\- Alyssa -

Our peaceful walk didn't even get to 20 feet when we heard the cries of this Burmecian woman asking for help. She pointed us to the direction of the scene that caused her distress, the sand pit where the once peaceful Antlion is currently attacking some helpless kid. We sprinted past the inn and down some stairs to see Quina and Vivi already there looking at the very aggressive monster that wasn't there when we arrived, trying to calm down the kid in the monster's clutches and assuring he'll be safe.

It stared back with its strained yellow eyes, its orange mandibles clicking threateningly at the boy, with its wild green mane decorated in enough sand to send anyone into a rampage and its fully scaled body sitting dead center in a swirling sand pit. The rest of its claws hovered behind him with some of them even appearing in and out of the sand around it. It was convenient for us that it had this pit to itself, a closed out space that was far enough from the settlement so anyone unwilling wouldn't get involved.

"Hang in there, champ! We're gonna save you!" Zidane called out to the boy barely hanging on for his dear life. "Is this supposed to happen?" He asks me in a whisper.

I confirm as I kept an eye on Vivi and Quina to see if they can hear us. "Little hint: That guy's pretty important." I tell him while nodding at the Antlion's current victim.

We hear someone landing behind us and see Freya finally arrive and complete our team. "Is the child alright?" She asked Zidane, who assured her he was, only to hear the kid complain that he wasn't. "That voice! Might it be Prince Puck?"

Right on cue, Zidane glances at me while the familiar name made Vivi look at her and then back to the kid in danger, who called out to her despite being swung around. "Freya! Where you been!?"

Despite already having its own victim, the Antlion probably saw us as better things to attack. So he disposed to Puck by throwing it in the air and focused on us. The former fresh meat prince was saved in midair by Freya, catching the little boy in her arms and landed safely right beside us. Her heroism wasn't celebrated when the Antlion blew sand in our direction, prompting everyone to hit the deck behind some of the tree's twisted branches.

After making sure Puck was alright, Freya released him and took her spear out. "We must put down the Antlion before it attacks someone else." Then she directed her attention to the prince of Burmecia. "Your Highness, you need to go to the Cathedral. It will be much safer there than being here."

"What? Nah!" Puck replied. He sure didn't act like a prince and didn't care about it that much. "I'd rather watch 'ya hand that monster's ass on a silver platter!"

"Language, Your Highness." Freya scolded him.

Puck looked to the other side where Vivi and Quina hid. "Hey Vivi! Nice seein' ya again!" Vivi didn't know how to respond to that, instead opting to wave at him with an audible chuckle.

"Here it comes!" Zidane shouted as he ducked behind cover again.

One of the Antlion's claws emerged over the tree branch, probably an attempt to scratch at the thief. He quickly crawled past us and cut at the claw with his weapon, The Ogre, to get its attention. He ran past our temporary cover to draw it away from us so we can have an opening. Freya was the first to get out and I followed her lead with the idea to help out Zidane.

I ran after him with my fingers around the pendant on my neck and kept an eye on the claws as he jumped over and rolled under the Antlion's attacks. He was busy expecting them to come at him one by one so he didn't see the one by his feet come out of its hiding place in the sand to strike. The first one caught him in the chest. I tried to block it, only for the barrier to not respond as fast as it could when it popped up a second too late. The second one didn't miss its cue when it covered for him as he recovered. Gotta get used to this thing already before it fails on me when I really need it.

As I was running towards Zidane, I could see Vivi on the other side launching a Fire spell at the monster, burning its back and earning its attention. Freya was quick swat away any of the Antlion's claws headed towards the black mage. Quina went by and took Vivi in her arms away from where he was just standing just as a few tendrils came up from the sand from his blind spot while Freya wasn't able to deflect all of them, sending her down to the shifting sands where she struggled to get any kind of footing.

Getting Freya out of there was easier said than done. Sand constantly spilled down to the center of the pit and going down there meant being up close and personal with the antlion. What makes things worse is that it looked like it was waist deep. It's either find a way to climb back or get close to the monster, and right now we don't have a safer way to do the former.

What I'm thinking right now is just cutting down its claws so it doesn't have a way of attacking anymore. That should be enough to pacify it, right?

"We should split up then," Zidane suggested when I told him what I had in mind. "Vivi can get its attention and you can defend him with your barriers while cutting at its claws. I'll cover Quina while she does her thing. I'm sure she has something she can do at this distance." With a nod, I broke off from him and ran towards Vivi while he tried to get Quina to come to him.

We were able to place Freya in our current plan because she was tangling with a claw in the pit at the moment. She wasn't doing well with her mobility basically gone. He tried to help her with a small Fire spell on the limb of her attacker, causing it freak out a bit in an attempt to put it out.

While it was distracted, I got to Vivi's side and told him what we needed to do. He nodded at the end of it and prepared to pelt the monster with magic. I could see Zidane and Quina getting ready as well. The cherry on top of it all is Freya managing to escape the pit by using the burnt tendril to pull herself out and finally jumped to safety.

The Antlion had its sights set on the Burmecian and because of that was left wide open to our combined magic effort. A barrage of Blizzara and Aqua Breath met it on both sides, the cold assault made it panic as it started spewing sand and wildly whipping its claws at us. I kept close to Vivi and tried to put a barrier around us, only for it to work partly by blocking our front. The random claws whipped at us and I tried my best to cut at them, which was harder when you're swinging a sword one-handed and holding a pendant with the other hand, while Vivi made a wall of ice on his end to improve our defenses. My efforts didn't matter in the end when the tendrils were too much and I got hit, sending me stumbling towards the ice wall while our barrier gave away.

Our little black mage tried to help me out by unleashing fire at anything that came close while I tried to get back up. They suddenly retreated and it was because of Freya throwing her spear at the side of its head. The Antlion focused on her in an attempt to counter. I tried to help by blocking some of the attacks coming her way. Some of them were successful, but I couldn't block all of them for her. Thank goodness she's fast enough to dodge those I couldn't stop.

Suddenly I notice something on the Antlion. Somehow Zidane found his way on it during its attack on Freya and was now cutting at its face all the while getting Freya's spear back. However, after throwing the Burmecian's signature weapon back to their owner, the Antlion swung its head around and caught him with its massive mandibles, sending him straight down to the quick sand. With a handful of claws ready to tear him up, I tried to help by providing some cover with a square barrier over him, yet it won't be enough since there's gonna be some swimming in the sand where I can't see it.

Quina thought it would be a good idea to belly flop into the sand and slide down where Zidane was. It was actually dumb, but she was burping out her Aqua Breath as she slid down, spinning her around so that it would boost her around the pit. She intercepted Zidane, who was trying to hold on to my barrier to avoid sinking deeper, until Quina hit him and caught him for a ride.

They didn't get out of there unscathed when a claw sprung up underneath the duo as it launched them out of the pit and nearly out of the tree if it wasn't for Freya diving to catch Quina by the apron, who then stabbed it with her spear to keep them from slipping away.

"We need to help them!" I said as I ran to help them. I tried my best to circle around the sand pit and dodge its claws when it saw me running, yet I was lucky to have Vivi covering for me by blasting the sand dweller with Thundara. With it momentarily distracted, I got to the others and pulled with Freya as hard as I could. Zidane was trying to get some leverage by climbing over the Qu, apologizing along the way, and was close to reaching our arms.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Vivi retreat to outside the pit's entrance for cover in case he got caught by the monster. Without anything in sight to eat, it scanned the area for fresh meat and found its way to us. Now I've gotten used to it attacking with just its arms, but when I looked over to see it speeding through the pit towards us with its jaw snapping at me put the fear of God right in my heart.

"It's getting closer!" I announced, panicking as I adjusted my grip on Quina to pull her up. That prompted Zidane to pick up the pace, jumping off Quina's shoulders and landed right beside us. He jumped into the air again to meet the monster with his thief swords. Sounds of grunts and steel cutting followed just as Freya and I finally got Quina's upper body over the edge. That made it easier for us to drag her back safely on solid ground.

The Qu groaned her thanks to us and I patted her on the shoulder for holding on for a long while. We didn't get to have some time to rest as Zidane was pissing off the Antlion by sliding and jumping all over its face and arms while cutting at it with twirls and spins of his thief swords, causing it to whip its arms randomly to get him, meaning it had no regard for everything around it. Freya had to pull me down before one clocked me in the head before taking her spear and joining the yellow-tailed thief in his scuffle.

I looked at the gap between us and the Antlion and clicked my tongue at the quick sand in our way. It sure would be nice if the rest of us normal and less acrobatic folk could cross that distance without breaking a sweat. While I tried to see if there's some sort of branch we can cut down or something to help us, my eyes end up in Vivi's direction. He did kinda make an ice wall earlier. Maybe he can make an ice floor or bridge?

"Vivi!" I call while running to him. "Can you make a bridge or some type of floor so we can get to it?" I pointed over to the sand that's making any ground approach hard for us.

He looked to the sands and then to his hands for a moment. "I can try."

Nodding at his response, Quina and I could only wait and watch while our two acrobatic fighters made the Antlion busy. It had already resorted to spitting out sand and biting the air at them just to get at them. The air around us started to get cold as ice started to form at the edge of the pit by our feet. Vivi concentrated on making the bridge while I made a barrier around us in case a claw came swiping our way. Plus, it makes me feel more confident that I'm getting the hang of it the more I use it.

While we were waiting for our bridge to form, Zidane and Freya were easily the MVPs of this fight right now with them jumping and sliding down its arms to limit its close-range attacks while chipping away at its face. Green liquid had already started to flow from its various wounds. It was only a matter of time before we finally knock it out, and this ice bridge is going to help bring the pain to it once and for all.

The Antlion went for a different tactic this time by spinning itself. Zidane and Freya were forced to hold on to the closest arm and stop their attacks at this moment, unless they wanted to fly off into the sand or, worse, out of the tree. By the time it had stopped spinning, Vivi had made the bridge close enough for Quina and I to use. As we used the ice bridge carefully to get to the monster, it had whipped its arms around the two acrobatic fighters and slammed them together before throwing them at us. It was a clean hit and all four of us slid back to the start.

It inhaled once more and blew sand at us while we were down, but I was able to get a barrier up between us while we're struggling to get up. That didn't happen when our sides was still open for its arms to take a stab at us. I wanted to expand the barrier so it would cover every side, but it was harder than it looked when I could feel a sting in my chest when I tried. The Antlion then broke through it when its other claws took the place of the sand, shattering the barrier into pieces before it disappeared. With it gone, it blew sand again and most of our group was hit while I tried my best to cover my eyes from it with my blouse.

When it felt like it had stopped blowing, I pulled my hands away from my face and let my blouse drop while I kept looking down in case it blew again. The others were stirring, looking like they managed to shield their eyes from the sand storm.

"Oh man, it's like the Evil Forest again!" I turn to see Vivi waving his hands in front of him and shaking his head. I tried to help by taking out some Eye Drops from my items, only to get smacked to the side by a claw as I was about to hand it to him.

Freya helped me up before I could slip into the sands and kept me going as the Antlion started spitting at us. This purplish goo landed at our feet or flew by us since we kept moving. I noticed Quina running over the ice bridge and cleared the distance with the monster's attention away from her while Zidane was playing defense by Vivi's side. The two were trying to work out something over there and it won't get off the ground when they're under fire.

I tell Freya that we need to get the Antlion's attention more before Quina attacks so Vivi can get a big hit in. She nodded and jumped into the air, but instead of throwing her spear at the beast she let herself fall down right on top of it. A silhouette of a dragon formed around her as she spun downwards and it exploded upon her weapon coming into contact with the Antlion. It felt the push of the attack, causing the monster to stagger for a second, and roared after her when she jumped away.

It didn't have enough time to counter when a blast of ice caught it by its right side. Movement on the affected area seemed to stop. I could hear its claws creak as it tried to move towards our black mage. It came to a stop once again when said creak became a crack and then turned into full-on shattering. He cause was Quina hacking on one of the claws with her fork until it separated from the main body. The lengthy arm fell down to the sand and sank as its owner pain thundered around us in a shriek.

With half of its attacking tendrils out of commission and our hungry chef dismantling it, I felt the fight was drawing to a close. Quina was working on disarming another one now with the help of Freya, it looked like Zidane was having an easier time with the lessened barrage of claws coming at him and Vivi while I'm circling around so it wouldn't see me use the ice bridge again.

Just as I was circling back and nearing my destination, Freya had finished slashing at her target arm and it finally fell off, landing a bit too close to the bridge as part of it shattered into pieces. It gave me an idea.

I tried to pull at a part of the arm up to the bridge, which wasn't easy because it was three times my size and I could barely do it by myself. I looked at the gap and wondered how I could get it up on the bridge when a long barrier that acted as an angled platform for me to pull the arm on appeared. It kinda helped since it's easier to pull the arm, but it was still heavy for me alone. The world sent help by having Quina collide against me after being thrown off from her earlier perch.

"Quina, help me with this thing!" I nodded to the thing I was trying to pull as I helped her up. She didn't hesitate in aiding me and it was easier for us to get it with her Qu strength, which I think is fueled by her hunger. Anyway, both of us are now holding up the frozen arm with a straight runway ahead of us. Only one thing left to do.

"CHARGE!" I urged her. The arm may have been big, but because some of it shattered on the way down and while we were picking it up, it looked more of a battering ram than a complete tendril. The Antlion saw our charge and tried to stop us, only to be blasted by Thundara spells with each attempt, making it flinch and recoil in pain after each spell hit. "Point it up!"

With Quina up front, she had more strength to raise her end of our impromptu weapon while I tried my best to support the backside. Soon I could see the ram angled high enough to get between its massive jaws and enter its mouth. A direct hit!

"Vivi!" I turned to the black mage as I raised my sword. "Need a magical assist!" He was wiping his face with his gloves to try and see where I was through the sand in his eyes. Only when he nodded did I turn back to the monster and start running up the bridge extension/battering ram to the monster's face.

Some of its claws tried to pull out the frozen arm it was choking on while I ran up, some of it coming close to me, but thankfully I was able to weave past and block some of them. Quina was already ahead, stabbing with her fork while Freya came in with a precise throw to the side of its head. I could feel my sword starting to feel hot, its edges crackling with magic energy, ready to be used. I nearly lost my footing when the Antlion basically chewed its arm out of its mouth, shaking off the rest before I could cross.

Zidane came to my rescue by grabbing me by the hand and tossing me towards the monster and took my place in the sand instead. I gave him a brief nod before focusing on my landing. A barrier appeared on top of me just before I was about to fall, which I instinctively planted my feet on and pushed. My descent was faster and my sword was leading it as the monster tended to the others attacking it. It didn't see me come down with my sword implanting itself on the top of its skull. It also didn't see how an explosion of thunder followed one second later, frying the very spot I cut through that almost blinded me if I hadn't closed my eyes upon impact.

I held on to the sword hilt as I felt the movement of the monster start to slow, the rest of its body now swaying under me a few seconds later. I could see Quina and Freya struggling to get her balance back, not for the lack of trying but because the Antlion was slowly falling on its face. We picked that time get the hell out of there in case we get trapped in the sand with this thing right above us.

Freya drops down to get Zidane while Quina and I run back down the remains of our bridge until we're right beside Vivi. We look back to find if Freya needed any help, but just before the orange monster is about to face plant into the sand, she jumps out with Zidane on her shoulders. He looked worn out, yet safe and sound. Hell, all of us looked worn out. We're gonna need a longer break time in the inn after this.

"Wooo! What a way to kick butt!" A forgotten voice whooped behind the entrance to the pit. We all looked over to see the sight of the prince being very un-prince-ly by jumping and waving his hands in excitement.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" Freya approached him with a cautious touch and an analyzing look going over the prince.

Puck shrugged her off and just grinned at her. "Hey, Freya! Wassup?"

"But how can this be? I heard that Your Highness disappeared upon leaving Burmecia." Another happy shrug from Puck shook her from her thoughts.

"Weird seein' ya here, Vivi." He turned his sights to the black mage. Zidane was applying some Eye Drops on the poor guy and could barely pay attention without having water in his eyes pulling him away from the conversation. "Didn't know you were such a badass with magic!"

Vivi brightened when he heard that. "I try to help sometimes," He mumbled, a bit proud to hear that.

"Without him we'd probably be six feet under the ground already," I added to give Vivi's confidence a fair boost. He looked up to me and smiled for the pat in the back.

"Let us go at once to inform of His Majesty of your arrival." Freya informed the prince, but he had other plans as he slinked away from her.

"My old man, huh? Nah, I don't wanna see him! Just tell him I said hi, okay? Later!" With a salute to the Burmecian, he bolted out of there like a bat outta hell. But a second later, he came back and patted Vivi on the back and winked at him. "Take care, Vivi!" And like that he was out of the scene again before Freya's military-trained reflexes could react and catch him. Vivi, on the other hand, had a thought as he looked at where his first friend went.

"Even though he's kind of rude, he's still my friend. I've gotta tell him something!" Our resident black mage then went to catch up to the rat prince.

Quina, probably still energized by fight, chased after the younger member of our group. "Wait! Rat prince maybe know where delicious food in tree is." Worried of losing the prince once again, Freya would've gone after the trio if it weren't for Zidane's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about them, Freya. Right now we should think about what we need to do next." He then gives me this look that gives my brain the nudge it needs. Might as well get through it before she's off again to her king. Plus, we're alone. We can avoid having too many questions by the others if I did this now. I stepped in before Freya could ask what he meant.

"I've been thinking while we climbed the tree and after I woke up and I'm kinda having doubts about this whole 'protective sandstorm' thing." I said as I put away my sword.

"Being skeptical about magic that has been used for thousands of years is expected, especially by those who have never stepped foot into Cleyra before." She calmly reasoned.

How do I put this without offending her culture and not outing myself at the same time?

"Yeah, I'm skeptical of it all. Amazed and a bit skeptical, but that's what I was trying to say. I believe you that the sandstorm will do its thing and will continue to do so as long as it can." Yeah, that's not suspicious at all. "All I'm thinking is now that Burmecia is where it's at right now with what's happened, I'm just saying that maybe Cleyra should probably think of other ways of defending itself…like upping its defenses or using other magic? If I was a betting girl, and I don't really gamble because I don't have that much money, I'm betting that Queen Brahne's digging for something in her sleeve to get through the sandstorm."

The red-armored dragon knight absorbed all my rambling and was silent. She put a hand on her chin as she paced in front of us. Did I get my points through? I tried to get a look from Zidane, but even he didn't know what Freya is thinking about. He shrugged when our eyes met and both of us went back to waiting for Freya's response.

"Those are valid points." Freya finally said. "Our people have been enthralled with warfare long ago and it divided us. My Cleyran brethren have lived here in peace for a long time without thinking about lifting swords and spears against anyone because of the sandstorm. Now things have changed. Burmecia lays decimated from a surprise attack and now they must be planning how to penetrate our defenses." With a nod, she turns to me and Zidane and extends her hand to us. "You are right. In this time of war, we must find a way to protect Burmecia's last sanctuary. Will you come with me to the king? He may want any ideas that can help us."

Any answer that wasn't yes was definitely unacceptable. I nod, prompting Freya to lead me towards the cathedral at the top of the tree. Zidane followed us, saying that he's not going to wait at the inn again when he could probably toss in some ideas to the mix.

This is another step I can take to prevent Cleyra's destruction. My letter may have not worked and Burmecia ended up with the same fate as it did in the game, but I'm not gonna let the same happen to this place. Cleyra will not end up as a fried stump at the end of this war. If I have to reveal to Freya as well that I know the future then I will. That's going to be my trump card. For now all I can hope is that we can convince the king to ready any type of defensive strategies to repel any sort of attack.

It didn't take long for us to get back to the cathedral, passing a few of her Burmecian brethren and some of Cleyra's oracles and maidens. As we passed them some of the former giving me this weird look. I guess word of me protecting Vivi got around to the rest of the soldiers. I'm gonna be glad that I'll be there when the same kid they tried to execute because he looked like the attackers back in their city saves their asses during the siege. Until then, I'm just gonna bear it.

Freya pushed the doors to the inner sanctum and bowed for the intrusion. Zidane and I followed her example when we saw the King of Burmecia and the Cleyra High Priest look at us. We probably interrupted some important conversation, but they didn't look like it bothered them that much. The High Priest was more relieved to see Freya as he's the first to approach her.

"Freya, it is good to see you safe. We have received word that you and your friends fought the Antlion to keep a young man safe." The High Priest, dressed in mostly white robes with a dash of green for contrast and a hat that reminded me of the Pope, pretty much summarized what we had just done. And word got here before us? Whoever reported it and got here before us sure worked fast.

She confirmed the High Priest's thoughts with a nod. Both the King and the High Priest gave a sigh of relief at the report. "He is now safe from the Antlion. We had to put it down. Whatever made the Antlion go on a rampage still can't be explained from what we witnessed."

The High Priest put his hands together lowered his head. "In all our time here it has never put anyone in danger. The monster was old, almost as old as this tree. We were afraid of it the first time we had settled her on the top of the tree, but when it didn't attack us we felt cautious living close to it."

"A lot of history with it even though it's been tame until now?" Zidane guessed, to which was answered with a nod.

His gaze went to the small balcony past the harp and focused on the winds blowing around the tree. "Eventually, we grew to be accustomed to it as we have with the storm. Perhaps it was its time or it sensed danger and caused it lash out. Nonetheless, we are glad that the boy is safe thanks to all of you." He briefly bowed to us in thanks.

The dragon knight then turned her attention over to the King. "You will not believe who this young man was, Your Majesty. It was Prince Puck. We saved him from the Antlion, but afterwards he refused to come here and see you. He ran away before I could convince him otherwise."

His Royal Highness and the leader of Cleyra shared a look, the former surprised to hear the news while the latter was almost happy to hear the news, almost because the prince wasn't here at the moment. It was a bit of a somber moment when the King turned away for a second, his royal purple cape getting a bit of wind under it as he walked over to the other balcony on the other side of the room. He began to reminisce with Freya about not seeing Puck for years and how they both returned in his time of need. He gave the loyal dragon knight a thankful expression when he looked at her again, for serving him when their people are facing grim times.

It was almost awkward that Zidane and I just stood there with nothing to contribute while simply watching the whole thing. But when the High priest brought up the 'strengthening ceremony' for the sandstorm, I accidentally forgot I was in the same room with their king and someone who was basically their Pope.

"Maybenotrightnow!" My voice burst out in a spill of words, alarming everyone in the room. It was awkward to have them stare at me. Even Zidane was surprised I interrupted them like that. Now I had their attention. I swallowed whatever anxiety I had and stepped forward. "Sorry. There was something I was gonna say and it kinda…jumbled up into a mess."

The High Priest spoke up after that awkward moment. "It's alright my dear. Apologies if we have been ignoring you, Miss…"

"Forsyth. Alyssa Forsyth." Freya introduced me, walking over to me and leading me forward. "She actually has some concerns she brought up to me that you might want to hear, Your Majesty." With an encouraging pat on the back, she stepped back so I could take the floor. The King allowed me to speak with a simple nod.

"Not to bag on the very thing that's protecting us right now, but I'm a bit nervous for Cleyra and the sandstorm around it after seeing what happened to Burmecia." I started to make my point across despite the shared glance of the two Burmecian officials to each other. "Freya's told me that the storm's been around for a long time, but after how Alexandria attacked your country and caught you guys off-guard, I was wondering if you considered preparing some other kind of defense in case of worst case scenarios."

The King put a hand under his chin and hummed in thought. It was the High Priest who calmly responded for the both of them. "The sandstorm has stood the test of time and has kept us safe since we have moved away from our home country. Your experience with the attack on Burmecia has left you anxious. Certainly you have felt the protective power of the storm around you as you climbed the tree and while you rested in our inn."

"I know that. This kind of magic is pretty intimidating when you think about it. But, a very BIG but, what if Alexandria's forces managed to find a way to get past it and climb up the tree? What if they drop their soldiers from the sky or dig underground past the storm? Are we just gonna let them waltz in and do the same to Cleyra?" My questions got the High Priest wondering as well as he pondered about it.

"Cleyra is the last bastion of our people." The King said. "Not even a fraction of my forces survived the attack and retreated here, some barely made it out of there alive. Seeing the destruction they have brought to my kingdom, to how many people they have laid waste, I will not stand for our sister city to suffer the same fate."

Freya nodded along with her king. That's the very thing I want to avoid. Keep Burmecia alive and Cleyra safe. If we can manage at least one of those things then I'd be satisfied that was I able to make a positive change from the destruction their kind was originally fated to meet.

Then His Majesty walked towards me and his hand landed on my shoulder. "My men will want to avenge our kingdom if Alexandria were to attack again. Will you help lead us in this endeavor?"

I looked up from his hand on my shoulder with a confused stare. "Uh…what?"

"I think he's saying his guys might need a bit of help." Zidane smoothly translated.

"But…they're soldiers and I'm just a girl. An outsider too." I somewhat argued. They've been trained for most of their life to fight with whatever weapon they want to use, trained to protect their king and their kingdom. What kind of help can I offer them?

"To be honest, they're gonna need all the help they can get." The former actor stated nonchalantly. "There's only a handful of them left. Maybe we can have some of the oracles or maidens fight with us?"

The High Priest shook his head at the suggestion. "Unfortunately, after living behind the storm and leaving behind an obsession with warfare, Cleyra's inhabitants have grown to be more peaceful than the rest of the kingdom."

Zidane nudges me on the side, snapping me out of my daze after the King's offer that's still on my mind. "I'm sure we can think of a few things, right Alyssa?"

I look at him for a second, that confident grin of his always ready to encourage, then to Freya, who stood determined beside her leaders. I honestly don't know what I can contribute to His Majesty's forces. I'm pretty much an amateur swordswoman compared to them. But I still had to say something. "I…guess?"

Even when my answered sounded unsure, The King of Burmecia and the High Priest of Cleyra took it as a sign of good faith that I will help them. I mean I am going to help them, but how remains to be the question. Freya leads us out as the King tells her to gather the soldiers present in town while the High Priest announces that they will be busy due to preparing for the strengthening ceremony. In a way I managed to get Freya away from the ceremony by accident and probably delay it a bit. That's a plus, right? But still I have to make sure that we don't get attacked today.

"Um…would it be too much if the strengthening ceremony be delayed for a day? We might need some help from everyone around here." I tried to be a lot more polite since I've already interrupted them and I might be pushing their patience with how an outsider is asking too much of them.

The leader of Burmecia deferred to the man responsible for this small community, who briefly observed the storm surrounding the tree. "We have never missed a day of the strengthening ceremony in years past. It would be remiss of me that I let a long standing tradition pass us by."

His king, however, put a hand on his shoulder to interrupt. There's a quiet stare between the two and the High Priest released a long breath before the king spoke again. "But seeing as how you might need as many people to prepare, I would regret not giving time to something as important as our possible defense building. Perhaps we can perform the ceremony tomorrow."

Just when I thought we were gonna get bad news, I couldn't contain the smile on my face when we were given the time to actually prepare. We have half a day head start! I just hope it would be enough. Let's just try to get through the day before panic starts to override my mind. We just need to get started immediately.

Still this makes me wonder what I can offer Burmecia's finest. I can think of something when everyone is gathered, but it's gonna be a tough sell after what they've been through in the city before they managed to escape. Will they be able to think properly and use strategy in fending off Alexandria or will they be driven by revenge?

Until we can make any concrete plans, it's just a typical day in Cleyra where the sand flows and the storm keeps every safe.

If Blake finds out that I'm trying everything I can do so Cleyra survives, he is going to be super pissed. I wonder how he is with his current journey with Dagger. I know he's gonna be thrown in prison once they get to Alexandria. I hope he's doing alright there.

\- Blake -

I have watched too many TV Shows and read some books about prison. Some depictions of it come off as terrifying, telling audiences that prison is hell on earth and anyone thrown inside would never be the same again. Other depictions are more realistic with its inhabitants being sane as the people outside free of its cells and iron bars, that prison is just a cage and people are still people despite being guilty of the crime they have committed to get there.

"Wake up, you insidious slime!" I jolt awake the instant the door locking me in was shaken. If sleeping on the cold, hard floor of a prison with my hands bound wasn't bad enough, it was made worse by waking up to the sound of a screeching slave driver. It only made me not want to wake up just for this horrible treatment to continue. "Don't back sass me and get over to the door, prisoner!"

Now I am inclined to believe the former depiction. All because of a single person. I stagger over to the door and look out, immediately regretting it when my eyes meet with the person on the other side of the door, her eyes burning intensely with the desire for revenge. Just glancing at her would provoke some kind of threat, if yesterday's proceedings of our arrest were any indication, so I instantly looked away.

My jaw ached remembering what happened after she clocked me the moment Zorn and Thorn's traps were deactivated. She was the one responsible putting me here. Dagger was escorted to her room, flanked with a number of the nation's female soldiers. Marcus and Steiner had swords pointed at them as their hands were restrained. I, on the other hand, was restrained, talked down to, and pushed around. Her harshness continued when she ripped off my sling just so she can 'properly' apply the restraints. She even tripped me on the way up those long stairs leading to the castle. I could still hear her laughing at me in my thoughts just looking back on it. It definitely hurt, but thank goodness I didn't break anything else and was just left with some bruises that continued to ache up to this moment.

Maybe I should have pushed her harder if I knew this would happen…

The bars on the door was hit, the clanging noise making me jump out of my thoughts and back to this horrid reality.

"Stop mumbling and get your food." The soldier sneered at me through the bars as the small bottom portion of the door opened up. She pushed in a tray of food that would serve as my breakfast.

Well, 'push' is putting it lightly. The actual word should be 'punted' because the tray flew into my legs and the contents of the tray scattered all over my prison cell. Water and what looked like mashed potatoes now decorated the room's floor and my shins while pieces of bread nearly hit Nero, who probably smelled the food and wanted some.

What a waste. I groaned at the mess while my stomach ached of hunger. "And here I was thinking you would be a morning person…"

My attempt at small talk was met with a glare. "Just eat it off the floor like the scum you are. Don't make that go to waste."

I shook the potatoes off my pants as much as I can while looking away from the soldier. "Do you even know what scum looks like?"

"I'm talking to one right now."

"You probably should look at a mirror. That's a clearer image of one."

"Talk back to me again and I'm gonna get in there and pulverize you!" She hit the bars again, this time harder than the last one.

"Miss Insensitive wants to get her hands on little ol' me? I didn't know you were into that kind of relationship." Crap, I didn't mean that to come out! I didn't even have to look back to see her angry face. It is pretty easy to imagine since that is the only face she makes.

Her growls grew louder and the door started shifting. She really is going to pulverize me! I expected this kind of treatment based from yesterday's events, but not this early in the day!

"Corporal Kendrick!" Unfortunately for her, and luckily for me, a voice from the outside cut her off. "Do I hear a ruckus over there?" Another woman asked, and if I have to guess she has a higher rank than Miss Touchy-Feely if her instant snap to a salute was any indication.

"Sorry, ma'am! This prisoner is quite the talker. I'm finished anyway." She glances over to me that basically said 'I'm going to kill you when I come back'. Not looking forward to that, but at least I have a name to go with the face.

"Sadistic and a liar as well," I whispered against the door just so I can get the last word in. It shook briefly before I could hear her walking away. Everything went silent after a door was closed in the distance. I leaned against the door and sighed. If I'm going to be in prison for a while with this type of conditions, I would rather hang myself.

"Talking back carelessly like that makes me think you have a death wish." I heard someone in the other cell talk.

I shrugged my shoulders at the comment. "Sorry, she reminded me of my classmate. The fearless, sarcastic portion of my brain just kicked in."

"Will you take this seriously for once?" Another voice spoke out. This one was accompanied by clanging noises. "We are already in prison. You should at least act like a normal prisoner so we may, at least, remain here with the remainder of our dignity intact."

"A normal prisoner should not even be on the receiving end of attacks by their guard. And I've never been to prison, Steiner! We shouldn't even be here in the first place!" I argued. "What happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'? What happened to my fair trial? What happened to my one phone call!?"

"Clearly that soldier's already messed with your head." Marcus commented with a chuckle, probably thinking that my tirade didn't make any sense. I just ignore him and go to the farthest side of my cell and sit down. Nero followed me to my spot and offered the best comforting 'kweh' he could muster. My only response to that is my stomach growling in hunger. If only the one in charge of my meals was capable of restraint then Nero and I wouldn't be hungry to start off the day…

And now Nero's just eating the potatoes off my pants. Nice to know that my pet is growing up to be labeled as 'scum'. At least I'm not the only one mistreated by that cruel woman, that the saying 'misery loves company' could finally apply to something that is really happening to me at the moment.

Then I hear the sound of slurping and satisfied humming outside of my prison door. I let the noises sink in for my brain to register until I figured out that my small morning misery would be alone. Only my breakfast was ruined and the others were left without any trace of malice, their food kept intact before she messed with mine. That jerk of a corporal definitely has it in for me. If that's the case, her threat would become real the moment she finds her way back here. Oh no…

This is unfair! Sure I'm a prisoner, but at least treat me and the rest of us fairly. Though to be fair, from what I can recall from the game, they didn't treat Marcus and Steiner with much respect if putting them in a cage high up in the air with no exit except if their small prison were to be lowered down to the ground. That's actually more humiliating compared to how I am being treated right now. I mean, how do they eat and use the bathroom? At least in our current holding cells we have a bucket. It may be unsanitary but it is better than nothing.

The question now is how do they get in that cage? Do they just transfer them? Would that unpleasant soldier even put me up there if she can pummel me in this cell without any witnesses? I hope it doesn't come to that. I'm fine with the threats so far. As long as she doesn't beat me down to a bloody pulp, I'm content with staying in a jail cell until the inevitable rescue team of Zidane and the others come.

"So…do any of you have a plan in mind?" Marcus' voice pipes up again. I got up and moved over to the door so I can see what the others were up to, only to see Marcus munching on a handful of bread. The mere sight of food made my stomach demand a piece. Maybe later when a different guard comes in.

"What plan?" Steiner and I ask for clarification.

"To get out of this dump."

While Steiner got offended by the dig at the place he is sworn to protect, I stiffened at the question and kept quiet. I'm not sure if a prison break would help me in getting them in that cage or be more of an obstacle. My game knowledge isn't helping me here one bit because there's no explanation why they put them up there anyway. Unless the game developers put them up there because they know both of them are skilled swordsmen; Steiner knew the place like it was the back of his hand and Marcus is a wily thief who could probably break in and out of anything if equipped with the right stuff.

Me, on the other hand? I only knew stuff about important events. I'm not that physically helpful. Those magical chains I can summon, however, might be of use if I can manage to properly use it. Binding someone down might be useful to restrain any of the guards here. Not sure what I could do to help start a prison break…

Speaking of which, I'm surprised they didn't take away my bracer. Sure they found my back-up poison dagger, but they let me keep my armor. I guess they find it funny that an injured man is armored and looks like he is ready for a fight, and when I say 'they' I mean the corporal.

"Yo, thinkin' man! Any ideas?" Marcus spoke up again with a hiss.

"N-No. I got nothing. Not right now." I said while caught thinking. They may think I am an idea guy right now, but I don't have any real experiences regarding prison, so right now it looks like I am not contributing anything to any plan about breaking out of this place.

"It's too early to start piecing together a plan for this." Steiner chimed in from his cell, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You'll never be able to break out, especially in our current situation."

Marcus turned his attention to his neighbor. "How about you? Anything you have running in that head of yours?"

Steiner audibly huffed, his armor clanking as he probably moved around in that cell of his. "And why should I divulge important information to a criminal like you?"

"Because technically you're a criminal too." I instantly answered.

"Ever heard of the saying 'honor among thieves'?" The knight countered.

"C'mon, cut us some slack. I may be a thief and he might've nearly killed someone…" As good as it is to hear someone acknowledge that I didn't really do that, attempted murder is, unfortunately, still on the table. "But aren't you worried what they'll do with that princess you care about so much? Those clowns said it. Their queen has something planned for her."

That definitely got Steiner, which was evident when his armor stopped making sounds. He finally moved over to the door and I could see the uneasiness in his eyes. The queen he has served loyally is planning to do something wicked to her daughter while he is locked up here instead of awarded for keeping her safe.

The Captain of the Pluto Knights finally sighed. He looked up and addressed us with that resolute tone he usually speaks with. "Very well. I will help you. But this is only so we may ensure the princess's safety."

"We'll try to help as much as we can. Isn't that right?" Marcus agreed and looked to me. Still I didn't know if I should even support his prison break plans. I don't know what it could lead to. "Well whatever. You have my full cooperation."

With the thief's assurance, Steiner finally started to share what he knows. "Patrols are tight during the mornings. This dungeon may feel lonely, but there are a handful of guards during this shift. Their numbers increase as day turns to night. There is a reason why no one hears of anyone breaking out of our prison."

"Got any more useful tips while we're just sitting on our thumbs here doing nothing?" The Tantalus member inquired.

Steiner peered through the bars of his cell door and hummed. "They've already placed us a few floors down from where most prisoners would be kept. Perhaps they thought it would discourage any attempt at jailbreak. But if that is the case, the guards would have a terrible time coming down here again and again throughout the day, so I would guess we would be left to our own devices unless we are being fed or taken for interrogation."

"You'd think they'd keep a better eye on our particular group."

"Indeed, especially when they greeted us with numerous swords pointed at our throats."

"And the abuse! Don't forget the abuse!" I shouted in addition to Steiner's point.

"Only for you so far," Marcus chuckled. He thinks this is a joke for me! Being tripped while defenseless and nearly dislocating my jaw is hardly a joke! "What else you got, knight?"

Steiner tried his best to think of anything useful we might need to know in case we do manage to develop an escape plan. From the shifts of the guards to where our weapons might be kept to patrol routes outside the dungeon entrance leading to the courtyard, Steiner shared with us any important tidbits that might as well make him the Edward Snowden of Alexandria, except without the modern technology and being an intelligence agent leaking highly classified information. As helpful as it is, there's nothing we can do at the moment if we can't capitalize on it.

He then perks up and suddenly goes silent. Somewhere outside we could hear footsteps. He stopped talking at that moment and backed away from his door, even Marcus did the same thing. I had three guesses on why they would do that and why I should follow in their example and none of them made me feel okay…

"Now that you've had some food in your stomachs, I hope you fellas mind cooperating." A different voice spoke up. It was calmer, more authoritative.

However, when I turned my head to the hallway, that murderous glare surprised me so much I fell on my back. That little reaction got her to chuckle, but when someone else cleared her throat, she immediately stopped.

"Corporal, stop intimidating that man and help the Captain out of his cell." The other officer ordered. I heard them move away from my cell and another door be unlocked and opened. I saw the two officers open Steiner's cell and restrain the man's hands. There were some hushed words exchanged, the soldier who threatened me was strangely quiet while the two briefly talked, before I see them escort him out.

"You and I will have our time alone soon." The soldier whispered menacingly against my bars before following her commanding officer and their prisoner. Now that is something I wish would stay as a threat.

Marcus and I exchanged a look just as they closed and locked the door behind them. Thus begins their attempt to pry answers from us. This is going to be a waste of time for them since the closest thing to a criminal between the three of us is Marcus for assisting in Dagger's kidnapping. Besides all we're going to say is that we just traveled with the princess because of its convenience; that we hadn't tricked or threatened the princess. Steiner, on the other hand, might be asked different questions since he's one of the kingdom's high ranking officers. Surely they won't just throw a punishment on him without any legitimate reason.

Well that other soldier seems to be happy enough giving out her own brand of justice, even if it's the type of justice the system didn't ask her to give out. I hope she won't be there in my interrogation. It will be a horrible choice to leave her in the same room as me after what they saw her do to me. If she is allowed to take part in it…

I am DEFINITELY not looking forward to that!


	33. The Wheel of Fate Keeps Turning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for interrogation.

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 32: The Wheel of Fate Keeps Turning

\- Blake -

It was hard for me to tell how much time has passed since they took Steiner due to us being locked up underground. I wish I still had some of my stuff, like my cellphone or my watch so it would help. Even Marcus' small talk could not us in passing the time.

Since I still had my bracer with me, I opted to do a bit of practice with the magic bestowed upon me by it on the emptied cup and some pieces of bread scattered all over the floor. The arm guard Meguro gave me as a gift is still mystifying to me even with the little amount of time I got to properly use it during the two most recent boss fights, so having this free time in isolation might be able to help with it.

From what I understand from my previous use of it, it can stop things into one spot, pull objects, and propel me to targets wrapped in its bright yellow chains. The first and second ones are the only ones I can practice right now in such a small space while the third one is a much unexpected part of the magic. I would rather stay at a distance than staying in close quarters in fights, but it should be helpful if I want to close the gap between me and an enemy. However, because of the small space I have right now, I'll practice that in a later time when my rights aren't being impeded.

I tried to replay Dagger's advice in my head as I pointed my hand at the empty cup across the room. Getting the chains to answer my call took a few deep breaths and visualizing what happened in the recent fights until my forearm was wrapped in its odd sensation. The sight of those chains wrapping against my forearm and then shooting out at the cup never ceases to amaze me. At least this time I wasn't in any immediate danger to fully appreciate what it can do.

As I pulled back my arm to retrieve the cup, it then left the floor and flew straight at my face, almost like a ball flying at an unexpected target. It was so fast that I could only widen my eyes before the object hit me and the pain registered in my brain.

Okay, maybe I should ease up on the pull just a little bit.

When I got it to work again on one of the broken loaves of bread, I tried to just flick my wrist. It jumped from the floor like the cup, but this time it was at a much slower speed that I managed to catch the bread. I kept doing this until I could properly catch the bread (and not pelt myself in the face) at least five times. It took a while, got hit by the bread twice, but good thing it was soft. Reaching that goal definitely put a smile on my face.

Next up is binding something. From what I remembered I can hold down someone into one spot and stop them from doing anything. Well, I assume that's what it does since it stopped Black Waltz No. 3 from killing Dagger and the Ralvurahra from attacking first, but he did whip me around after seeing me dangling off it. It somewhat reminded me of Syndrome's gadget that brings the whole Incredibles family to a screeching halt whenever he would activate it, except they can struggle in mine.

So I left the piece of bread in front of Nero and walked to the other side of the room. While the black feathered chocobo took a bite out of the bread, I called the magic chains again and pointed my hand at him. The chains surrounded the little chocobo, making him stop from chewing at his snack, before enveloping him.

In an instant, Nero was now held captive by the chains. He struggled against it and tried to move but failed to do so despite his thrashing and crying.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Marcus' voice pipes up, distracting me just a bit. When his cries got too loud, I realized I might have been hurting the little thing and let him go, the chains dissipating when I imagined the chains would go away.

"Sorry, just practicing some magic." I replied. "I guess I should practice on things that don't look up to me as a father figure." I should practice more with this particular element of the arm guard, but I don't want to harm Nero any more.

That will surely come in handy in confrontations I find myself as well as helpful when it comes to fighting in a group. Isolating a target and holding them down would make them an easy enemy to defeat. More practice would be needed though.

Anyway, I felt that brief practice was enough to get me used to the magic. Hopefully I'll be able to use them effectively in a fight in the future. Until then, I feel tired and practicing could only go so far in helping me ignore my hunger.

I've resorted to taking a nap, only to find minimal success in dozing off in the corner of my cell. Nero joined me on my knee and had an easier time to sleep.

By the time I'm on my third attempt to get some sleep, the sound of a door opening, keys being jiggled, and the familiar clinking of armor around caught my attention. I waited for them to open my door next and drag me out for my turn in their interrogation, but it didn't happen. It sounded like they went for Marcus this time. The superior officer was cordial, however the edge of her voice was stiffer than how she talked with Steiner. I guess they are familiar with each other.

When they were away, I went to the door and tried to get the knight's attention. He answered after a few tries. "If you are trying to get my attention, do it properly instead of hissing a snake."

"That doesn't matter. How did the interrogation go?" I instantly questioned him.

He was quiet for moment, which almost prompted me to ask again. That didn't happen when I heard his door move with a great forceful thud. "They questioned me about why I betrayed Alexandria and took the Princess Garnet away with the help of Tantalus. When I tried to explain that I had tried time and time again to convince the princess to come back, they barely listened to a word and then discredited me with numerous accusations of being a traitor! That I had plotted with the lot of you to profit out of the princess kidnapping as a mole! These accusations make no sense!"

Wow, talk about being thrown under the bus. That is a definite reason to keep Steiner behind bars, however if they have proof for it would be something he can call to question.

"I am not a traitor! I have served the queen and her kingdom loyally for most of my life and yet they do not offer to hear my side of the story! Taking advantage of my position in the army and backstabbing Queen Brahne has never come into my mind! That would be preposterous! And the only reason why they assume I have turned my back on Alexandria and 'became a traitor' for Lindblum is because I failed to bring the princess back."

"Irony…" I quietly remarked. Despite the calm and courteous manner they began with how they took him away and brought him back here, it looks like Steiner had a lot to vent.

"All of their questions were answered as truthful as I can manage, yet they looked at me as if my betrayal had been absolute. That lieutenant dared to say all of this as if I had already been tried and sentenced. When the question of an actual trial or passing of judgement came up, they easily dismissed it! And to think I would never see this happen throughout my time serving this kingdom. If the princess and the old king were to hear this they would think I would have gone insane. They would not even say what the princess is doing or what those clowns meant about capturing the princess. With how they said it, it sounded less about ensuring her safety and more of some ominous goal."

That interrogation must have not been fun. It must have taken a lot of Steiner's willpower to not just start shouting at them right then and there. And the worst part of it all is how they supposedly treated him. Sure they didn't beat him up, but they pretty much threw the whole law book at him and made sure a few things stuck without even letting him defend himself.

If this is how they a high ranking officer of their army, how else would they treat a thief and a 'salesman'?

Just the thought of the worst things they could do to me made me sink to the floor. Any second that passed waiting for my turn was filled with anxious terror. I've never been interrogated before by a soldier or a police officer. The closest I have gotten to this situation is when I was nearly caught cheating with a group of my classmates back in high school. I was close to getting a mental breakdown with the constant worrying throughout that time in my life. Now I don't know how I'd survive an actual interrogation without anything to help me get out of this mess.

Steiner continued to rant against his mistreatment while I worried more and more about my impending grilling. He eventually lost steam when he realized no one was listening anymore. We were so far down under the dungeon that his shouting became whispers for the guards patrolling the entranceway.

The only sounds that came from our respective cells were Steiner's armor clanking noisily against itself as he moved around and Nero's chirping as it explored my cell. If only we were holed up somewhere that wasn't underground we might be able to find a way to escape. Yeah, escaping sounds pretty good right now before they get a turn at questioning me.

Thinking about the possible cruelty they will do to me didn't help in passing the time. Should I be worried? Hell yes. Should I even assume they'll torture me just to get information out of me? Probably.

"Hey Steiner," I broke our silence with a panicked call. "Did they try to intimidate you or threaten you while you were in there?"

"No. They merely put my loyalty in question with wild theories and no evidence. Ridiculous!" The knight answered, anger still dripping through his voice.

If they didn't put a hand on him while they talked to him and were more subtle about their hostilities that should mean they plan on doing the same to me, right? On the contrary, he has been part of their army for a long time. There is a massive chance that they respected Steiner enough to speak with him bluntly without threatening him with physical harm. Unfortunately, I don't have the same relationship with them, which means I'm still liable to be treated like dirt.

I don't know if expecting cruel treatment would be a good thing or a bad thing. I shouldn't have to expect it because they shouldn't do it in the first place. We're prisoners, not slaves. Common decency is required if you're serving under the law. If you don't have that then you're in the wrong profession, but at this very moment under specific circumstances, which is serving under a power-hungry queen, it might be the right place.

But if I expect it to happen, despite that one soldier's grudge on me and how she's been acting since we were put behind bars, it might give me a psychological advantage in the interrogation. They might think I'll break easily, but if I walk in there looking nonchalant, I'll throw them off and make it easier for me to walk out of the room without another bruise.

Though those are big ifs. That soldier I pushed off the airship might be mentally unstable after that fall I gave her. Not sure about that other one if I take what Steiner said into consideration. Actually, I think he's still ranting about that. I don't want to rely on some small chance.

Hmm…I can worry about this until the sun sets and rises and I won't be able to do anything about it. Maybe if I try to get some sleep and get some energy, try to get my mind off it for now…

Then the door outside creaked open and any hope of catching any sleep went out of the window. Feet marching into the small hallway outside of my door and an immediate voice yelling for silence, effectively stopping Steiner's rant. Nero hopped into my restrained hands, wanting protection from the scary noise, right as my door was opened and a hand pulled me up by my collar.

"Time to make good on my promise." The soldier's expression made me think of a predator about to jump its prey. I wasn't able to retort when she dragged me out to the hall. I saw a glimpse of her superior officer pushing Marcus into his cell before her eyes met mine. She doesn't do anything aside from briefly leering at me before leading me away to whatever torture chamber they plan to use.

One flight of stairs and a quiet walk through a decently lit long hallway later I was pushed into a room that had a sturdy table and a chair that looked like it had not aged well. Looking around it looked like a prison cell but was made to something different seeing as there were chains hanging off the walls and an old cot in the corner. Perhaps they didn't have a proper interrogation room and made do with this one. Still I was made to sit in said chair as the two women locked the door.

"State your name, prisoner." One of them took the other side of the table and spoke first.

"Blake Skylark." I answered. When Nero tweeted in my hands, I shushed him before he attracted any negative attention to himself.

"Do you know why you're here?" What? No proper introductions?

The cruel soldier started her harsh treatment with a slap to the back of my head. "You watch your mouth, scum!"

"Do you always treat your prisoners with absolute contempt or is that just reserved for me?" I groaned. Good thing she didn't hit me that hard. She might be saving her strength for a big smack for later.

Her superior officer raised a hand, making her subordinate take a step back. "It is fine, Corporal. Perhaps knowing our names would give him some measure of comfort." She extended her hand to the soldier with the grudge, who I honestly didn't care about. "That is Corporal Lexine Kendrick. She has told me one or two things about you from the time you two initially met. Not a lot of good things. And I am Lieutenant Rebecca Perkins. Let's get along, shall we?"

"We'll be asking all the questions from now on. Do you understand? If you don't…" Her ending that with a dark chuckle was not a good sign. When the 'subtle' threat finally passed, the lieutenant took over again.

"Again I ask, do you know why you're here?"

"Uh…I think I'm here for attempted murder…among other things?" I look over to the side and see the hostile soldier standing there cracking her knuckles. Not a good sign.

"Among other things is an understatement." She then began to pace back and forth on her side of the table. "You are charged with kidnapping Her Highness, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, and aiding in violently disrupting the peace during her birthday celebration."

I raise my hand hoping that she'd consider an explanation. "Funny you mention that. Can I state my case about that particular charge?"

Her eyes barely glanced at me, not acknowledging my statement. "And then there's assault, resisting arrest, and as you've already stated, attempted murder. Or maybe you'd like to confess to a few more while we're here." I would have made a point about something regarding that list of crimes, but I really didn't want to push my luck with these two. My silence was taken as a response and she continued. "Now we would have already dropped you into a cell waiting for trial, but we were thinking of helping you."

"Uh…what?" Where is this going?

"Normally, this list of charges would have reserved you a spot for the death penalty." My hands reached up for my neck when she mentioned 'death penalty'. I don't even want to know which one they use, but I'm sure my neck is going to feel the full force of the punishment connected to that. "But right now we are feeling generous, which you should be grateful."

From how Lt. Perkins said that, I'm not sure if I should be comforted by their generosity or ask for a lawyer. I'm sure they are not going to give me a chance to get one though. She's still looking at me, expecting some sort of retort or answer. I tried to put on my best smile and said, "Thanks?"

A hand slammed down on the table in front of me made me jump. What made me start sweating was Corporal Kendrick leaning close with that sick grin of hers already gracing her lips. "Damn right you should."

"All we ask is your cooperation." Now the other one removed her helmet and placed it on the table. Was this her attempt at bridging the gap between prisoner and interrogator? To be fair, I couldn't care less if I could see what color her eyes are and what color her butch haircut is. I'm a bit grateful that she didn't slam the helmet down, but all this attention is starting to turn up the pressure. "Can you tell us why you were with the princess on her way back to the kingdom?"

My immediate answer was, "Yes, I can."

The lieutenant and I looked at each other after that. Nero was basically walking around the table, thankfully ignored by the soldiers as they just stared at me expectantly. I shrugged at them and waited for the next question. Not sure why that earned me a chop to the neck though. I answered her question truthfully.

"Smart ass." The corporal sure didn't mind running her mouth.

"Can we please save the hitting for the important questions?" I tried to reason with them, only for my words to fall on deaf ears.

"I mean explain why you traveled with the princess." Perkins corrected herself. She should have just said that in the first place instead of waiting for her companion here to smack me.

"It was just convenient. I knew I wouldn't be able to travel alone in my condition and little Nero here obviously can't carry me yet, being a defenseless traveling salesman and all. Since we were heading to the same place, I thought we might as well go here together." Well, that's the story I have in mind. I have to keep playing up my fake occupation after all.

The woman on the other side of the table hummed. The way she looked at me made me feel like she didn't believe a word I said. There is a possibility that she is taking my answers with a grain of salt.

"And what of your other associates? Did they choose not to travel with you or was one of them enough to keep an eye on Her Highness?"

"Associates? You mean the other kidnappers?" I clarified. When she nodded and prompted me to confess where they were, I knew I had to lie to keep things as it were.

"Where are your other criminal friends?" Miss Insensitive pretty much whispered in my ear when she noticed my hesitation. And it is less sensual and more like growling restrained anger.

I gulped. That is where I realized I am, unfortunately, in the receiving end of a 'good cop, bad cop' routine. It should have been obvious from the very beginning when the corporal with the grudge came back to interrogate us. I hoped that she was only there to restrain and escort us prisoners and have someone else do the actual questioning. As it turns out she is doing both. She is definitely doing her job well with how menacing her glares get. I don't know if I should lie with her standing so close in punching proximity. Let's try dodging the question.

"They are not my friends." I replied, looking the other officer dead in the eyes in an attempt to be believable. She straightened her stance, a sly smile gracing her face, as if to say 'Oh really?' to me. "I barely knew them."

"Don't make me laugh. I remember that girl you helped on the airship looking glad to see you there." The reminder from the 'bad cop' definitely got me.

"She recognized me because she is a friend of my sister. I don't belong in her social circle anyways."

"Alright. Where is she then?"

"How should I know? We went our separate ways days ago." They don't need to know where I've been and where Alyssa is going. They'll find out soon enough.

Apparently that is not the right way to answer that question. I found out when my face met the tale surface before I could even resist.

"OW! Agh!" Shaking my head to stop the pain was not much help. "Why!? That hurts! Don't you know not to start with the head? It makes things fuzzy." I tried to ease the pain on my forehead and nose by rubbing both spots with my hands, which made it a bit hard with the wooden restraints around my wrists.

"There's a lot more of that where it came from." Her patting my head was barely comforting.

Her superior officer only looked at us with her arms crossed, still waiting for an answer. "You don't have to make things difficult. Your friends had a better attitude in comparison to what you are showing right now." She told me. "All we need are answers. If we find the answers you give us sufficient then we'll make sure the time you spend behind bars will be more comfortable."

"Did you give the same offer to Steiner and Marcus?" I asked. She gave me a look that might as well have said 'Obviously'. "And I'm going to assume they didn't take it." That's because they're smart.

That earned me another pounding against the table. At least the other one raised her hand to stop any further harm to my face. "That is an appropriate assumption. However, only your friends can tell you what their decisions were once we are done with you. How about we give you a glimpse if you prove helpful to us."

With a nod to the corporal, she grabs the wooden cuffs around my wrists, making me wince at how she pulled it. At first I thought she was going to add more damage to my already existing injury, whether she knew it or not. However, I was taken by surprise when the lock restricting my hand movement fell and the soldier took away the key as well as the cuffs. My hands were finally free and it was a relief! I tried enjoying the feeling since I've had that on from last night to a few seconds before.

"We can make sure that your incarceration will be more comfortable than before. You'll be able to live like a noble down in your cell. Just answer our questions as truthfully and we'll try our best to accommodate you during your prison sentence."

For some reason, I have this weird feeling in the back of my head that's telling me I shouldn't trust them. This sounds like a very suspicious deal. They're encouraging me to sell them out, yet I'm pretty sure everyone treats a traitor poorly whether they were in prison or not. But there is a big chance that if I answer vaguely I will end up with more bruises. And I hate having bruises.

But I can't sell them out. They don't need me to tell them what they're doing because they will eventually set their sights on Lindblum. I fear that if I say anything that will implicate them on Dagger's kidnapping they might switch targets and cause events to go out of order. I would never live it down if I cause that to happen after constantly telling Alyssa to not change the plot.

"As much as I love feeling my hands, it will take a lot more to convince me to sell them out." I crossed my arms, proud to have stood up to them. When I looked at the lieutenant, she looked hardly impressed. She nodded at Kendrick, a wordless signal I caught before I was kicked out of my chair.

"Is that your final answer?" She asked as she stood over me. One of her boots was applying pressure on my injured right arm, causing me to yelp and grit my teeth to contain any smart remarks from coming out. A few seconds of silence later, she relented and allowed me to get on my knees. Before I could complain to the other soldier about her companion's attitude, she clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"Very brave of you. We respected Captain Steiner enough to leave him unharmed due to his service. However, you and your bandana wearing friend don't have that going for you. Very well." Perkins straightened herself, her tone sounding disappointed, as she stepped away from the table. "Your turn, Corporal. I've done my best to get answers my way. And please, don't break him that much."

My eyes widened at her words. I could see her start to walk towards the door just as I was harshly dragged towards the wall behind me. Her superior officer left the room as her subordinate locked my wrists into the iron cuffs connected to the chains in the walls. The worst part about it all is I was facing the wall, meaning I have to crane my head to even get a glimpse of what was happening behind me. When I tried to move my head, she smacked me in the cheek that I hit the wall with the other side of my face. Then I felt her hands all over me.

"H-Hey! What the hell!?" I demanded. She didn't say anything, but was tugging at my body armor. It took her a good few seconds to disengage the armor pieces from its secure places, letting them fal to the ground into four pieces. "What the fuck are you doing!?"

"Shut up!" She screamed at me, kicking my armor pieces out of her way before walking away. Okay, she's out of my hair for a while. I need to get out of these chains. And I thought the wooden ones were worse. Sure these cuffs had some rust, but they felt like they could keep me here despite any attempt I made to pull at them or smash the cuffs against the wall.

The sound of scraping came from behind me. When I looked it was from the cruel soldier pushing the table to the far side of the room just as the lieutenant came back with a bag in her hands. The two have hushed exchange, the bag exchanging hands between them, before the calmer one of the two exited through the door without any additional order or response to the corporal, pulling it closed with a creak and the lock audibly clicking.

Something hit the back of my head, causing me to crack my face against the wall just inches in front of me. I couldn't move away from it for some reason, any attempt was met with my face being pushed into the wall, as if holding me there was its intention, along with an ominous chuckle.

"I'm going to enjoy our little alone time here, you coward." The woman growled. "With nowhere to run and nothing to lie about, let's see if I'll be able to pry some answers from that filthy mouth of yours."

"Wait—ACK!" She then started to wrap something around my neck once, no twice, before pulling to keep it secure, forcing a gasp out of my mouth. It was like rope, but was slimmer and felt like leather. Any attempt I could try to pry it away from my neck was futile when my hands could barely reach, the length of the chains holding them was short.

The thing around my neck got tighter, pulling me away from the wall, which was barely a relief when I couldn't say anything coherent to attempt some sort of negotiation with this crazy girl. Talking was clearly out of the picture at the moment! Breathing was soon to follow when I couldn't even take a breath or let any out after a few seconds. She then made it worse when I felt something press against my back and the pressure around my neck worsened. Black spots started to pop up in front of me and the world began to spin.

Was she going to kill me? Am I going to die in the hands of this sadistic woman seeking revenge in the vein of interrogating me for information?

I don't want to die yet! It's barely half the game and I haven't met everyone in the main party. I haven't looked Kuja in the eyes and made a joke about his outfit. And I have yet to find a way, a hint or a clear method to get back home. I can't die now, not when I have so much to do!

Suddenly, the wrapped object around my neck loosened and I fell to my knees coughing. I desperately inhaled as much air as I could, not wanting another suffocating experience like that in the near future. When I've filled my lungs with air, I look over my shoulder and see the soldier admiring what looked like a velvet whip in her hands. Her mouth was curled up, clearly the sight of me suffering was a scene to enjoy for her. She moved closer, her mouth was moving, but the disorientation from being choked wouldn't let me concentrate enough to understand what she was saying.

"I… ask…ain. Whe…did yo…her…ends go?" I could barely look at her after her attempt of literally strangling the information out of me that my brain couldn't make sense of what she was saying. She held my face still with a hand and spoke again, but it only came out as scrambled as before. Eventually she got tired of looking at me and let me go, shoving me back into the wall. I thought she was going to choke me out again, but my assumption was wrong and she went for the worse option.

Then I felt something snap against my back followed by a loud crack filled the air. One glance over my shoulder told me that she was utilizing the whip as how it should be used. The hit was like being slapped in the back at full speed, except it was smaller yet it hit harder. The painful sensation hasn't even passed before she went for another strike. And then another. Every hit pushed wind and sound out of my mouth as I flailed against the chains, trying to get away from the whip's excruciating blows.

"Did you really think I would let you escape so easily and let your punishment be ignored?" Her voice was clear and spiteful, slipping in between her harsh attacks. "After what you did that day, what you did to me?

My back started to burn from her constant whipping. I'm sure my shirt my useless in offering any kind of resistance against her hits, especially when my back would feel cold in between her lashes. She is hitting me so hard that my shirt is getting tattered. And she didn't exactly focus on one spot alone. Her attacks went all over the place. My legs and arms felt her wrath as well, but my back felt the full brunt of her assault. It wasn't as bad as getting whipped in the back of the head.

I nearly fell limp against the wall after that one particular blow. Every part of my body ached and a part of my back felt wet. I thought she was just raising the tension by waiting before starting again, but I saw her move to my right. A few seconds later, my arm fell to my side. Was she done?

When I looked up, my eyes met hers, violet eyes darkened and glared at me through small tufts of dark red hair with unsatisfied rage. She wanted more. I don't know if I can take more.

One of her hands grabs at my collar and pulls me up.

"That's just a fraction of what's to come." Her other hand comes up and closes into a fist. "Remember this, you scumbag. You can never run away from justice." Then her fist connected with my face and everything went black.

\- OLaF -

I could barely move after I blinked my eyes open. It was dark around me, the only source of light coming from the outside through the small window on the door ahead of me. Everything was quiet and everything was still spinning. Moving any part my body sent waves of pain everywhere, so I tried to stay still while trying to figure out where I was.

Out of the edge of my eye, I could see something small moving and I'm sure it was not the floor tilting up and down due to the lack of air in my brain or painful illusions. Eventually it walked directly into my line of sight, the soft kweh from it confirmed that it was Nero. From what I could see he looked fine, almost untouched. Thank goodness she didn't lay a finger on him. She either decided it wasn't worth it or she fully focused her wrath on me.

I unconsciously make a sound of relief that gave Nero the excuse to rub his black feathers all over me. As calming as having something so soft rub all over my face, I couldn't appreciate it due to most of my body aching for some medical attention.

"You alive in there, kid?" I heard a voice shout form outside.

"Speak when you are being talked to, Skylark!" Another followed.

It took a while for me to realize that I was back in my own cell if those two voices were Marcus and Steiner. I was too tired and was in so much pain that I couldn't speak properly, so I opted to groan as loud as I could to confirm that I was still alive. Well, more like an inch away from death.

"Geez, sounds like they did quite the number on you." I think that was Marcus. "But good to know that you're still with us!" Not sure how happy I would be if this would be a recurring thing if I have to stay here any longer. And this is just the first day.

How many days did they stay imprisoned in the game? There wasn't any blatant showing of days passing in the game until the group finds themselves outside of Lindblum, where the skies should be brightening from daylight, but was darkened when Queen Brahne attacks with her eidolon of choice. Everything from leaving Lindblum to that point felt like the player was going through a very long day. Now I am sure that it has been two days since we left Regent Cid's care.

If this is a sign of what is to come for me during my prison sentence, I am ready to consider any idea Marcus has for a prison break even with how much in pain I am. The more distance I can put between me and that horrible woman the better.

I turn over onto my belly and sighed, my wounds still stinging and burning as if they were fresh. How long has it been since I was put back here? Could be minutes or hours since then. Having no windows to the outside sucks. I wish I still had my cell phone or my watch to keep track of time. Maybe when someone comes by I could ask what time it is, and hopefully it wouldn't be the violet-eyed menace. That is if I have enough energy to say a word later.

Content that I was still alive, silence had once again filled the air save for some of Nero's soft, caring tweets. I couldn't do anything about my wounds since I didn't have a potion or a white mage nearby. All I can manage is closing my eyes again and sleep, hoping that when I wake up there would be something to give me some relief from the aching marks the cold corporal gave me.

I felt my shoulder being nudged after some time later. I'd gotten content with my sleeping position that I thought it was just Nero being hungry or craving attention, so I just ignored him and went back to sleep. However, when the nudge became harder, I was beginning to think otherwise.

" _Get up._ " I thought I was being talked down to in my dreams, the voice coming from the sadistic soldier back in the interrogation room. She has inflicted too much pain to last a lifetime for me. "I said get up!"

Unfortunately, it wasn't a dream. The fresh marks from her whip on my back burned when it was attacked once again, but not by a whip this time. It definitely woke me up from my sleep, yet it wasn't enough when I was kicked, forced on my back, and had a boot stomp on my gut.

The corporal was back. Oh god, she's back. I would have figured the next time she would interrogate me would be tomorrow. Did time really fly by that fast? It's too soon for a second session!

When she pulled me up, threw me against the wall, and shoved me out before I could get Nero into my hands, I noticed the annoyance on her face. This was not like the first time. Watching me wince and stagger through any kind of movement I made should have put a smile on her face. Sure she still dragged me up the stairs when I could barely lift my legs and the shouting was still there. That was not the case right now.

The journey up the same flight of stairs that she took me through for my first questioning was tougher with shaking legs, but it was made possible with the sheer effort of the corporal's strength through the aforementioned dragging. What made it tougher was my lungs suddenly seizing up.

Not again! Air would not travel down my throat and lungs, and with all added physical abuse it didn't help at all that I could barely move properly. I tried waving at her and telling I couldn't breathe properly. However, she barely gave the time of day and considered that I was not trying to trick her, shutting down any kind of attempt at making peace by kicking me. Definitely not helping.

I was about to black out from the lack of oxygen when she grabbed me again. Next thing I know she literally shoves me through the interrogation room door and I landed on the floor as graceful as the Philippines' swimming team in the 2016 Olympics. Of course, I couldn't get a break as she once again forces me off the floor and back up to my feet when I could feel my lungs giving out.

I realize that the room was already occupied and it wasn't Lt. Perkins waiting for me. It was someone else, a guy I do not recognize, and he was seated with his back turned to me. He had white hair as pure as the driven snow after a heavy snowstorm and a silver coat that seemed to shine despite the limited light in the room. His gloved hands held a teacup and a kettle, refilling his cup with whatever he was drinking just as he noticed my sloppy entrance. Something about him felt familiar. I just couldn't put a finger on it. He put down both objects so he could stand and come closer to me and kneel by my side.

The man hummed as I felt something touching my back. It felt strange and very cold. It was there but it didn't hurt, almost like a feather grazing my skin. The weight against my chest started to lift and I started to get my breath back. "It appears that you were too heavy handed on your questioning, Miss Kendrick." His voice was light, yet cool and deadpan.

I heard her answer back with a scoff. "He deserved it."

"Nonetheless, I was mistaken in expecting subtlety in this kingdom's interrogation methods. Or perhaps my disappointment should be aimed at the interrogator instead." Then I notice the guy's touch go from my back to my arms. Then he caught me off-guard when he helped me to my feet. What's more surprising is that he did this without any shouting, growling, or some sort of bullying. Just lifting me up so I could stand in front of him. If that wasn't suspicious enough, he started brushing off specks of dust off my shirt and straightened the remains of my tie.

"Who are you?" I couldn't help but wonder out loud, my brain finally able to get enough air to operate competently. He finally looked me in the eye, his sharp green eyes were almost comforting to look at, before he spoke with a non-answer.

"Please take a seat." He guided me over to the other side of the table, which had three unoccupied chairs, and sat me on one of them. Once he was back on his own seat opposite me, he placed a cup in front of me and poured a considerable amount of whatever he was drinking in it with a small smile on his face. "Drink. It is my favorite blend of tea. Unfortunately, we do not have honey to further accentuate the taste."

Looking at the cup's contents and the person who poured it made me stop from reaching for the drink. On one hand, they probably brought this guy in because the soldiers weren't able to get enough info on all of us. On the other hand, he is polite and is not shouting at me, well for now anyways. The latter makes it more suspicious for me to even take a chance on drinking what is in this cup.

Sensing my hesitation, he softly laughs as he picks up the cup. "If you think there is any foul play regarding your drink, your worries are baseless." He turns to the soldier, who was now standing by the door with her arms crossed just glaring at me. "Miss Kendrick, will you please drink this and prove that this has nothing in it?"

The corporal looked at him like he had shared an incredibly stupid conspiracy theory. She definitely did not want to do anything that would help me in any way, whether it was just to lighten the mood in the room or picking me up from the floor with gentle hands. But the man kept his gaze steady and the girl started to fidget under it. With an agitated snarl, she relented and finally agreed, taking the cup while mumbling something under her breath. She took one quick swig of it and swallowed.

Pausing for a few seconds to let the drink sit in, she finally gave the cup back and sighed. "Nothing."

After replacing it back right in front of me, the white-haired tea drinker smiled one again and nodded for me to drink up. I really didn't trust this guy even if he's proven the drink is not tampered with. There is just something off with him. The smile, the hair, the fact that he's drinking tea in this environment, and that I do not know who this is makes me think of not touching that drink.

Again, after noticing that I was not doing what he asked, he gently took my hands and put them around the cup before his hands enveloped mine, trying to convince me to do as he says. For some reason, his hands felt colder than before and it started to spread through my arms, past my shoulders, and go through the rest of my body. It was like I was in a freezer for a minute there that I shivered. I even started to see my own breath.

When he withdrew his hands, everything started to warm up again. By the time my fingers were room temperature I had been breathing hard and my skin was pretty much covered in goosebumps. When I tried to hug myself to warm myself up, the strangest thing happened. My arms and shoulders didn't ache and my back didn't scream at me for moving wrong. I tried to move about, like stretching my arms and reaching for various spots that was whipped viciously by the heartless 'bad cop', to see if I was just hallucinating. But nothing happened. I was not in pain anymore.

"Wh-what did you do to me?" I asked as I sat down again and stared at my hands. Sure my arms felt fine, but even with the magic that had just ran through me my right hand sent some aches up the arm. He had just repaired whatever damage was done to me during the first interrogation. I looked over to the instigator of the pain earlier and saw that even she looked mystified like me. "Did you heal me just now?"

"Of course," He answered. He took a sip from his cup and nodded at mine. "Now drink."

"Just who in the world are you?" I questioned him.

"My colleagues call me Inoire." He finally introduced himself. "And please, I will be the one asking the questions this time."

So this really is another interrogation. Someone at the top of their ranks, either the queen or the one left in charge of the castle in her absence, did not like the results of our first questioning session. It's better than being whipped and choked to near death, but that is not saying much when the guy conducting the interrogation is as an enigma.

The moment he said his name I tried to dig through my memories of the game and match it with a character. It was fine when it came to the soldiers because they're initially faceless and it is hard to remain faceless when they are directly interacting with you. But when you look like an Organization XIII reject with the straightest white hair from a shampoo commercial then you deserve the suspicion hovering over your head.

Before he could speak again, the door opened and a group of the kingdom's soldiers appeared. "Miss Kendrick, will you please complete our group here with Mister Skylark's other friends? Sometimes it is best to have the whole party in one room than going through them one by one."

"And what, you also want me to bring his stupid bird too?" She asked mockingly.

"That bird has a name, Miss Kendrick. Would you be insulted if I called you 'Nameless Soldier #73'?" The tea drinker calmly replied. Said stupid mindless soldier just grit her teeth and took it as if she was powerless to do so. Does this man have a heavy influence in the army? "But please, see if little Nero is comfortable while you are there."

Her gaze goes to me and her glare deepens as if I had anything to do with this. I've barely done anything aside from be suspicious of this guy. She's just looking for a scapegoat and apparently I'm an easy target. But then when it comes to easy targets, my mind suddenly made the connection to Nero, who was all alone in my cell. Is she thinking of hurting him!?

"If I find a feather out of place on him, I…I'll cut you!" The threat surprises the soldiers at the door while the girl I addressed looked somewhat insulted. Perhaps it was the lack of pain on my back or the rejuvenated feeling I had after being healed that gave me the courage to say all of that. Just the idea of Nero being defenseless and alone in the same room as that sadistic woman added to that and then it just came out. I know that it will cause her to attack me more later, but what's done is done.

"Just cut me? Pathetic." She retorted.

I sink in my chair and glare at my hands. "Because you'd kill me easily. Duh. Cutting you would be easy for me. It's basically a low standard."

"What a disappointment of a man." She turns to leave with her crew.

"Shouldn't you be used to disappointments already?" I thought I mumbled that low enough for only the green-eyed man to hear, but apparently her hearing is as sharp as the finest sword in the world's armory. That caused her to stop and charge me with a fist already raised for an attack. However, the white-haired man stepped in between us and stopped her before she could get close. Unsatisfied that she was not able to get her hands on me, she goes back to the door and leaves with her soldier friends.

And now I am all alone with the mystery man. At least it was quiet. And no one was being tortured so that was a plus.

"So…is Inoire a mercenary name like Shalashaska or is that your birth name?" I broke the silence between us, keeping the warm tea cup in my hands, as he sat back down opposite me. "And I'm assuming this whole tea thing is just an elaborate ruse to dump a cup-ton of truth serum into my system."

"You may say it was given to me. It is similar to being named at birth, yet it is unlike your naming traditions due to…cultural differences. " He answered after a short sip. Cultural? That is a particularly odd part to add emphasis. "And to tell you the truth, using truth serum had not come to mind until now."

"So…is this going to be round two of BDSM torture?"

He chuckled and finally put down his cup. "No, dear boy, not at all. There will be no torture happening in this room while I am here. I will be providing questions and your group will be providing answers."

Okay…a very polite man who defended me and is treating me much better than the actual law enforcement of this kingdom. Very questionable and untrustworthy since he doesn't match any of the characters from the game. Since I do not know how he operates, I might as well go with the flow for now. When I do get an idea of what's to happen in this session then I'll just clam up and plead the fifth. Wait…do they even have the Fifth Amendment here?

"Before it does get too crowded here, will you tell me how did you find out about the underground passage, the very same one you used to sneak into Alexandria?"

I look down at the teacup in my hands for a moment. I am sure Doctor Tot would not like being fingered as our source for our little shortcut. "Sometimes you get lucky when you know where to look."

"Getting lucky must be your forte then, Mister Skylark. For someone who looks ill-equipped, it must be a miracle that you have survived this far." He states before he takes another sip from his cup. That sounded like a compliment, but it felt like a jab against my appearance. Is it because of the armor? "Another miracle you performed was getting into the top five of the Festival of the Hunt. Congratulations, by the way."

My posture straightens at the mention of the Festival. It was a very hectic event and I remember being angry at the result before waking up in the infirmary with a brand new cut on my left hand where I accidentally cut myself. No one even bothered to tell me I was that close to winning. That just makes it all the more disappointing in hindsight, especially when I had to cheat to get my points.

But that wasn't what caught my attention. If he knows the result of the Festival then that would mean two things: either he was there to witness it or knew someone who was there. If I have to consider the latter, looking back and figuring out which one of the hunters and huntresses there he has a connection with would take too long. For the former's possibility, I would say he looks like he is the kind of guy to have more than one ace in their sleeve despite not looking armed at the moment. I wonder what his weapon is—

"You won't believe me when I say it, but MJM is here. I've only seen him in the Noble District. The last time I saw him he was on the roof."

Hold on! Out of all the competitors in the Festival that could be connected to Inoire, they also have to be connected with Alexandria somehow. And who better than the guy Alyssa has a grudge against, the man in the maroon jacket.

My luck be damned! Two people who I don't know if they belong in the game or not in cahoots with each other. This cannot be just simple coincidence.

"You look surprised." There was a sly grin hiding behind the cup, his green eyes shining when he opened them. "Is it because I know of your near triumph? Do not fret. I would have said congratulations to you if I knew where you were back in Lindblum, but alas it seemed it you were somewhere else when the announcement of scores had commenced."

"Y-You knew I was in Lindblum?" The stammer came from the uncertainty that was building in my gut. Is it wise to still be here alone with this guy?

He stands up from his seat and walks around the table, a single finger of his tracing at edges as he talked. "Of course. I was merely visiting during the event. You should know how that feels, right Mister Skylark?" I was fighting like everyone else while you were looking at tourist sites or whatever you were doing. "What you should be surprised about are your chances of winning during the Festival. Perhaps it is because you looked like the underdog in the whole showdown with the Zaghnol, especially with your measly dagger and armor pieces."

"Have you been stalking me?"

Inoire shakes his head, amused at hearing the accusation. "No. We merely crossed paths a few times when you were not aware of it. In fact, we shared the cable car if you recall."

I swear I could feel the color of my face drain when I remember that. He was there too! Hell, I even shared a seat with him! How in the hell did someone looking like this manage to look so normal!?

Then he stops by my left and takes his finger off the table, instead putting his hands into his sleeve like a monk. I would have commented about it, but any voice I had got stuck when I saw him pull out a blade. I would have retreated to the corner of the room or dived under the table to hide from any weaponry since I don't have one on me right now. But the moment I stiffened and leaned away from him, he might have noticed because he slowly put the dagger down right beside the cup he gave me.

Wait, this looks like my poison dagger. It is my poison dagger!

"Speaking of which, tell me where did you get this," and then his hand rested on the arm guard, "and this particular piece of your armor?"

I look at the armor piece and dagger before gazing back up to the curious man. Was it really that important? This is not even connected to any major plot event. "Uh…I got it from a stranger. Didn't know who she was, yet she's a constant annoyance for me." Maybe Meguro could do me a solid and give me a way out of here just to reimburse me for giving me choices that are sure to shorten my lifespan.

His hand hovers over my arm and travels over to my shoulder as he hummed. "Hmm…so that is what she calls herself in this world."

"She's mostly the reason why parents tell their children to never talk to strangers…wait what?" When my brain finally registered that I had blabbed without noticing it until now and what Inoire had just muttered in connection to it, he must have noticed the double take I made because he was pressing on my shoulders. "What did you just say?"

"Please Mister Skylark, calm down. All this paranoia is not healthy." A subtle warning as his hands tightened. If the cryptic slip of the tongue wasn't enough to freak me out, the feeling of his breath on my ear made me want to jump into the arms of the torture-loving corporal. "Besides, I am not like her, dear boy."

I finally got the courage to shake him off and put some distance between us by running to the other side of the table. Apparently all this did was entertain him, his green eyes just simply observing me as he chuckled. I had a feeling this guy was beyond normal, but I didn't expect it to be on Meguro levels of weird despite him saying he wasn't like her.

"Who in the hell are you!? I am sick and tired of being surrounded by enigmas! All I get from people like you are more questions and more scars!" My eye catches the dagger he put on the table.

"I don't wish to harm you Mister Skylark," he said, calm as ever. "With your reaction, I am to assume she's up to no good now, is she?"

"If you don't answer me, I'm going to do more than just cut you—"

My hand was about to grab the poison-layered blade, unfortunately his hand was faster. He took hold of my left wrist and twisted, sending me to my knees at the immense pressure he was applying despite his grip looking very simple. I could even sense my hand starting to go numb. I looked at the dagger again with the thought of using my injured hand being considered. However I ended up not doing so when Inoire clicked his tongue at me.

"Fate has been cruel to you. I do not intend to do the same as it has to you, but if you force my hand, I will undoubtedly match its cruelty." He warned me and the weirdest thing about it is he sounded apologetic.

"L-L-Look I've had enough of this. I just want to go home and leave this all behind." I said in a slow voice in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Having this escalate and result in another broken limb would just make this day the worst for me. If we can just talk like calm and respectful people then we might be able to get somewhere. "No more mist-made monsters. No more medieval-steampunk technology. No more magic. I'm just trying to find a way back without disrupting this world's important events, okay? Just point me in the right direction or a hint where I can safely travel back to Earth. Please…?"

Inoire looks down on me and shakes his head, the regret in his eyes starting to dwindle. "You have yet to understand your part in this world, Mister Skylark. Unlike your friend, who wants to be free of the chains you continue to wrap around her, you must embrace the notion of change."

He finally releases my hand, giving me the opportunity to retreat farther away from him to cradle the hand he threatened to break. He simply sighs and turns away to take the foreign dagger into his hand. "She desires to walk free towards a brighter day while you continue to gaze into the night sky, trying to see in the stars a tomorrow familiar only to you. But can the same sky tell you how much a known future will protect you?" His eyes find mine at the exact moment I look up. It felt like he was giving me a silent challenge between the two of us.

And I didn't want any of it.

"We shall see which of you has the determination to change their fate."

…Wait. What did he just say…?

At that exact moment the door decided to open and for the soldiers to return with their prisoners in tow. If the sight of me in the corner of the room and their mysterious comrade waving a blade surprised them they did not voice it out loud. One of them gently escorted me back to my seat as Inoire took his place back on his side of the table while the others put Steiner and Marcus flanked me on our side. Both of them were giving me looks the moment they stepped inside, but I did not have an opportunity to talk to them when the sword-carrying soldiers stood by with their sadistic leader glaring at me behind the current interrogator.

Inoire started talking to the three of us at that point, the dagger he presented me still present on the table. All of his words came in one ear and out of the other, unfortunately. My attention had been singled out by a phrase the man had uttered earlier before the session officially started.

" _…which of you has the determination to change their fate._ "

 _Change Your Fate_. That phrase has haunted me since arriving in the village of Dali. It might have taken a back seat to Meguro's challenging offers, yet the mystery of the suddenly engraved ticket had never been answered. In the back of my head I knew that the phrase would mean something eventually. I just did not expect it to connect with another mystery who could be a possible threat.

Is the phrase on the ticket a message from Inoire? I could ask him now, but doing so would only raise more questions from other parties not privy to this troubling mystery. He might even drag them into this secret I've been keeping and it might make them curious, urge them to dig deeper and further complicate things. So I'm going to choose to not ask this now. If there would be a new solo session that will involve him again then I'll bring it up then. There are some questions that Meguro has evaded before. Perhaps this other enigma can answer them for me.

However, I'm too distracted to fully understand what was being asked and said until Steiner had slammed his hands on the table. He pointed and started berating Inoire about lacking respect. Marcus just sat there with his arms crossed and let the knight do all the talking. Looking at him now I'd just noticed the welts on his arms and face, and despite all of that he is not making a sound. Whatever they used on him made mine look like a chump did it.

Steiner proved to be uncontrollable once he got started on his rant. Inoire seems like he is not fazed by the knight's volume and ability to string together demanding retorts about loyalty and respect as he merely watched him. When they tried to force him back to his seat, he swung his arms wildly and sent them, along with me and Marcus, scattering. Hell should have broken loose at that point, but when I heard the sound of a sword being drawn everything became silent.

I looked up and saw that Steiner had stopped shouting, in fact, he was stock still as if interrupted in mid-rant with his hands raised to fight. On the other side of the table was the cause. Inoire had taken someone's sword in a split second and had it up. At the very tip I noticed something drop. The sharp edge was wet with red.

Blood. He drew blood!

Iron gloves covered Steiner's face as he staggered backwards and fell over his chair. Blood was streaming past his hand and down his face. Oh god, did he lose an eye!?

"I have never been a fan of harming prisoners. Unfortunately, you forced my hand. I hope this would be the last time for this to happen." I heard Inoire intone as he handed the sword over to the corporal behind him. He circled around the table and knelt beside the stunned knight. His hand reaches to the glove that is holding to the wound. "Let me take a look."

Something about his voice sounded too convincing and caring that Steiner did let his guard down for him to examine his handiwork. Blood was steadily coming out of a long cut from the bottom-left that cuts in between his eyebrow up to the top of his forehead. I am genuinely shocked that it was just one long cut and not a sliced eye.

However, Inoire put his gloved hand over the long wound and closed his eyes. If Steiner wasn't tense before this then something about this odd man touching his face was enough to push him over the edge. His body visibly stiffened for the entire duration. Once the hand pulled away, I noticed that his glove didn't look like it had touched the wound. When Steiner grazed the same area again, however, said wound was no longer there. And not in the way that he gave him a nice scar to show to everyone, but in the way that the wound never happened in the first place.

…Just what is wrong with this guy? He's polite to you at one moment and then he's threatening to break your hand in the other. Now he just cut up Steiner's face and feels bad enough about it to heal him!? Can he make up his mind if he wants to be a subtle psycho or a magical gentleman?

"We shall take a break for the time being and reconvene with more questioning in ten minutes. Hopefully everyone will be more cooperative when I come back." Inoire finally said as he stood up. With a nod to Miss Insensitive and her bloodied sword, he proceeds to leave the room with her and her subordinates in charge while he is away.

Now we're left alone with five soldiers standing around in a small interrogation room that was probably meant for only six people. I mean it's not close to the space available like the one in _The Dark Knight_ , but at least our guards can still pace around us threateningly. Still talk about a cramped awkward space.

"H-How did he do that?" Steiner muttered, his iron gloves still tracing a line where the cut was supposed to be. "Did he have magical abilities like the princess?"

"I don't know." I answered. "But whatever it is he can do and will do, I don't want to be here to find out."

Marcus leans slightly towards me and whispered, "Any ideas right now would be nice."

"Shut your traps, the both of you!" My justice-driven tormentor pounded her fist into the table, acting like the gavel to our noisy court, startling the two other soldiers behind her. And it just gave me an idea to start our prison break.

"I have step one. We might have to improvise after that." I tell him softly.

"That's better than nothing. You want in, metal head?" His joking nickname aside, if Steiner has to question which side he is on, whether he lays his arms down for the kingdom he still believes in or decide to take matters in his own hands, it has to be now.

His hands fold into a fist and his agreement comes from a resolute nod. "For the princess."

"I said shut your—" Before she could slam her hands on the table again, I use all the strength I had and pushed the table to stop her. She might have been caught off-guard and pushed back a bit, she was able to recover enough to prevent getting pinned with the help of her more alert friends. Marcus, on the other hand, remedied that by flipping the table on them, sending them down to the floor.

The other two soldiers were about to draw their swords to contain the situation until I kicked Steiner's chair into one of them. It wasn't enough to knock her down, but it gave the captain of the Pluto Knights enough time to ram his entire body against one of them and render them unconscious. Because he was preoccupied, he was almost a victim of yet another damaging cut from a sword if it weren't for a timely intervention from my magic chains and was stuck in an awkward stance with her sword raised for a quick strike.

Marcus relieved her of her weapon and made her sleep with a solid punch. She lay crumpled on the floor once my chains released her. Two down, but the other three were about to recover. Both swordsmen may be armed and ready to fight, but we knew that does not have to happen right now.

I run to the door, only to hesitate when I see the poisoned dagger on the floor. Since I need a weapon, I picked it up before going out of the door as fast as I can. Thankfully it opened and the hall seemed empty of any reinforcements. Steiner, who took one of the swords from the down soldiers to arm himself, and Marcus joined me outside just as our cruel captor was about to remove the table on her and her squad, so we closed the door and held it there to prevent them from getting to us. Unfortunately, this door looked like it can only be locked with a key, and since we didn't have said key, it will prove hard for us to contain them there.

"Stop resisting and get back in here!" A voice in the room demanded accompanied with the door being pounded on.

"Keep it steady! I don't know if this will work or not." I tell the two before stepping away from the door. Here goes nothing.

I point my left hand at the door and will the bright chains to come with a quiet breath and barely an idea if this will work. It heeds my call and starts latching itself onto the door until the wooden surface finally looked like a crime scene entrance filled with police tape. My fellow prisoners had to let go of the door in case they get tangled in it and stay stuck there. I paused for a second to make sure that it was done and would not go away if I drop the stance. Once it did stay without it having any signs of faltering, I finally relaxed.

"Get back in here at once or I'll have your head on a pike!" A certain angry someone shouted through the door. I would have answered with something witty but we didn't have time to do that.

"Alright. We have a window of freedom right now! What do we do next?" I turn to Marcus and Steiner since I did not have an opportunity to think this true.

"Two ways we can get outta here. Going through town and finding the nearest place that sells an airship ticket to Lindblum is gonna be difficult. Hell, we can even hijack one at this point since we'll be wanted men the moment we step out." Marcus had a good idea. Not sure how we'll be able to get out of the city without attracting attention, especially if there are regular patrols going on. But he did say he has a second idea.

"What about the princess!? We cannot leave Her Highness here where it isn't safe!" Steiner started to object, only to be stopped by the Tantalus member.

"And there's the second way. We get Dagger and find that secret way underneath the castle and use that Gargan to get to Treno. We'll find an easier way to get back to Lindblum there without these people breathing down our necks." That pretty much saves us the stress of sneaking through the city in broad daylight and hoping on not getting caught.

Steiner considered the second choice with a nod. "Fine. I'll lead us once we are inside the castle. In the meantime, you will be on point before that. And you stay quiet." He says to Marcus before giving me a good glare for the last part. I nodded, assuming that stealth wasn't my specialty. A fair assumption because I've never gone out late at night in the real world and had to sneak back into the house. Besides, I didn't like late night parties anyway.

Cutting the stealth to just the castle grounds would be a relief since most of us do not look like we have any expertise in avoiding detection and being quiet. We'll know our odds once we get out of this prison dungeon.

"WAIT!" Just as we were about to depart for the outside world since last night, I brought everyone to a screeching halt.

"What? Is your magic wearing off?" Marcus asked, looking at the door in case it wavered.

"No!" I stated before turning back and running down the stairs. "I nearly forgot Nero!"

I swear I could have heard hands meeting their faces even when I got far down the staircase. I would have been a dreadful father figure if I left Nero in that prison cell.

\- OLaF -

I was comforting Nero as we tried to cross the front courtyard of Alexandria Castle, sticking to waist-high cover and well-maintained shrubs in case someone saw us. I should have attempted to get Nero first before I was whisked away or have asked Inoire to get the sadistic slave driver to get him while she was there. Now who knows how long my little chocobo here was tweeting his little heart out until I found him. He probably has a sore throat if he was that loud while I was away.

But back to the matter at hand. Once we were able to find the exit to the prison, we found ourselves under a darkening sky with remnants of light from the sun already on its way past the horizon. A few lamps hanging off the wall and on posts had already been turned on to provide some illumination for the outside parts of the castle. One would say we picked a good time to fight back against the soldier back in the interrogation room. I'm just surprised that it has been close to a day that we've been kept behind bars.

There had been a few soldiers that crossed our paths while we looked for an entrance into the castle. It would have been easier if the layout followed how the buildings were placed in the game, unfortunately the courtyard was bigger with smaller buildings and more space between where we came from and our destination. We were lucky that most of them were easy to sneak past due to being distracted by conversation with their fellow soldiers or that we had great timing that they had walked past us or paced back the way they came from. The unlucky ones were either dumped into some bushes or hidden in some dark corner of the courtyard. Let's just hope no one will spot them until we're gone.

"Guard by those doors. That should be our ticket in." Marcus whispered after peering past the corner we've situated ourselves in. He picked up a rock from the ground and waited while Steiner and I kept quiet with our eyes peeled for any guards that might find us. A few seconds later, he saw his opportunity come and he threw the rock.

"What the hell was that?" A feminine voice wondered out loud. That was followed by Marcus slinking past the corner to take her down. I took his spot and peered past it to see if the coast is finally clear. What I saw was him knocking her out with a good old fashioned sleeper hold. I tapped the captain and joined with Marcus, who had just dumped the unconscious woman in one of the bushes we had just passed.

Being away from the prison cells and back into something that looks homely certainly lifted my spirits. The thought of the kitchen being on our left made me want to go in there and grab some food. Anything edible form just a single piece of fruit to leftovers would have been nice, and I'm sure a place this grand would have lots of food that they would go unnoticed if taken.

As much as I want to feed myself, Marcus pulled me to the side by one of the pillars holding up the floor above us. The sound of boots clattering at a steady pace entered my ears and I went still. Steiner was hiding behind another pillar beside us. His eyes was following what seemed to be a patrol passing by. After a few moments of waiting, he nodded to us before leaving his spot and went towards the stairs past the ugly painting of the reigning queen of the castle.

It seemed that there were less troops situated inside than outside, especially by the time we got near the throne overlooking the city and finally found the royal quarters. It felt weird, especially when we are getting close to the queen. One should have expected heavier patrol routes and more guards where her quarters are. Oh well, this makes it easier for us when we only have to sneak past only one guard pacing back and forth in front of what seemed to be Dagger's room.

Steiner took the lead on this one, not even waiting for the guard to turn around when he charged the poor sap. Right after Marcus came in and knocked them unconscious was when we realized we had taken down one of Steiner's direct subordinates, a member of the Pluto Knights. But even their leader did not want to waste any more time as he opened Dagger's room.

"Empty." He announced after a quick glance. He returned to the unconscious man and shook him awake. "Kohel, where is the princess?"

"C-Captain!? Aren't you—Shouldn't you be—Why?" The named Kohel could barely convey his train of thought. It was perhaps the grip the knight had on him or the sight of Marcus holding a sword close to him. By the time Steiner shook him again and repeated his question he finally found the right words we were looking for. "Th-The p-p-princess? I do-don't know, s-sir! She's been gone since th-the clowns lead her out!"

"She wanted to talk to her mother, right? Chances are that is what she's doing right now." I concluded straight from game memory. I did not want to say that immediately after our breakout in case we interrupted their confrontation prematurely. Seems like now is the right time to see what happens if we step in right after.

Not wanting to leave evidence that we were here, Marcus smacked the quivering knight after Steiner released him and then placed him inside Dagger's room before making our way to Queen Brahne's quarters. However, Marcus stopped us before we could get out of the door.

"Someone's out there." He told us as he watched through the small crack in the doorway. "Man. Silver hair, but not that same guy who was talking to us earlier. He's wearing something you'd might want to see on a girl instead of a guy."

Kuja. Seems like we came here at just the right time. He is about to make his grandiose introduction with Dagger and we'll see him put the princess to sleep as well as the queen revealing her true colors. Having Steiner see this was something I would have hoped to never happen due to the changes it will bring, but I cannot stay in that jail cell for one more day. I would rather change this part than be whipped to death.

Once the coast was clear, we followed in Kuja's footsteps and stopped in front of the queen's chambers. We could hear people talking on the other side, most likely Kuja sharing his part of the 'act' he had stumbled upon. Marcus carefully opened the door so the three of us could properly hear what was happening inside.

"…Overcome by grief, the princess must sleep for a hundred years." That well-spoken ham had everyone's attention. He sure loves to speak like he's in a play. Any conversation has to be unbearable unless you're a theater major in college.

"You…I've seen you before…" I could hear Dagger's voice falter from where we were situated in. Seeing her mother just watch while her daughter is clearly squirming while this man is walking towards her.

"Who is that guy anyway?" Marcus wondered quietly before turning to the only man with us who served Alexandria. "Do you know him?"

"Know him? No. But I have caught glimpses of him around the castle recently." Steiner answered, his eyes narrowing at the sight before him, clearly not enjoying how the man with silver hair stalk Dagger like a predator would with its prey. "Something about him seemed untrustworthy, but I did not question the company the queen kept. Now, however, I'm not sure what his role is…"

"My sweet angel, come to me." Kuja walked after Dagger, who tried to retreat to her mother's side, only to be denied protection as she pushed her daughter into the effeminate man's arms. He ran his pale hands on her face and chuckled. "I will take you to a world of dreams."

Blue energy gathered around Kuja's hand as he waved it in front of Dagger's face. A second later, she fell limp in the man's arms, her eyes closed and no longer resisting his 'charms'. Kuja enjoyed his handiwork, complimenting the sleeping girl's features while he examined her. Beside him, Queen Brahne finally sighed as she walked past her arms dealer with a passing remark that revealed her feelings for Dagger.

"Hmph, impudent little girl." Then she turns to her loyal jesters as she continued fanning herself. "Zorn, Thorn! Prepare to extract the eidolons from Garnet."

That one dismissive line from the queen, after being so loyal to her all this time and suffering through the nonsense we put him through for being too decided in his own misguided ways while trying to bring the princess back safely and the unfair treatment he got today, added all up with his recent struggles finally broke him. The moment he shoved the doors open and charged into the room, I knew that I was going to regret doing this prison break.

"Stop!" Steiner called as he took the stage between everyone. He might have been armed with a sword, but he looked like he wasn't ready to use it yet. "Your Highness, what are you doing? First the attacks on Burmecia and now this kind of treatment on the princess…What is going on? What happened to bring about these actions?"

"Ah, my former captain." Brahne casually acknowledged him before turning her eyes to me and Marcus by the doorway. "And you brought along the other prisoners. I knew keeping you in prison below ground was a mistake. Like how it was a mistake to keep you in my ranks."

"…What?" The captain looked like he did not know how to react.

"I do not have time to explain myself to a worthless soldier like you." The queen harshly stated as she turned her back to him. "I have rodents to exterminate. Zorn, Thorn, dispose of this man!"

Steiner balled up his hands to a fist before looking up to the ruler of the kingdom, not even giving the two approaching jesters a glance. "Worthless…? I have served this army loyally to the best of my abilities and defended your honor throughout my career. And you call me worthless…? How could you?"

Before the red and blue clowns could start obeying their queen, Marcus covered the lamenting knight by cutting at Thorn's back to keep him grounded, but the other one was already in midair. I might have not been equipped, but the magic chains my bracer had was enough to help by pulling the jumping man back down to earth with a solid thud. With any immediate threat gone, he stepped forward and continued to speak.

"Do you think of Beatrix and all of us knights and soldiers as pawns for our service to you!? We fight and defend your kingdom, yet you strike down another kingdom for no reasonable cause!" He raised his sword his sword and full attention to Kuja. "Now you plan to use the princess as well. Whatever scheme you have in mind, I will stop you from doing so! I demand that you release her at this instance!"

The silver-haired man shook his head at the demand. All he got from the declaration was amusement. "You are way over your head. Quite the tragic development too."

We may have the numbers advantage over Kuja, but he is still a powerful mage in his own right. He could easily wipe the floor with us if he wanted. Even if Steiner knew that it would not matter in the long run and he would fight to defend Dagger with all of his life no matter what. Marcus is fighting for his freedom and Kuja was the only thing standing in his way of getting out and helping his 'bro'. All I could do is help in any way I can if this fight is to happen. Let's just hope he doesn't know anything about the magic I just used.

"Excuse me, I hope you do not mind the interruption."

I was not able to look fast enough at the source of the new voice before I was hoisted up by my neck, dropping Nero to the floor in surprise, and thrown towards the feet of the two swordsmen. When I looked at where my black feathered chocobo was left hiding, someone else had stepped in in the behalf of Queen Brahne. Wielding a sword with dark markings on half the metal blade, Inoire walked towards us with the grace of a swan as he brandished his unique blade. Aside from wounding Steiner earlier, I would have thought he was the type of man to be somewhere else when the fights started. Perhaps I was wrong to assume that.

Marcus felt we did not have any time left for more conversation when he lunged at the mysterious man, only for him to raise his sword and deflect the attack. He kept defending against Marcus' strikes as he pressed towards the rest of us with no signs of stopping. Steiner charged at Kuja in an attempt to rescue Dagger from his grasp. He was thwarted by the man's magic, a small ball of energy coming into contact with his armor and effectively pushed him back. I looked at both sides and wondered which one to tackle first.

Getting everyone to focus on a target would get us in a disadvantageous state. Both sides were occupied, thus keeping the other from interfering and helping their own teammate. I could help tip the scales in our favor, but who to help first. I have no idea how good Inoire is with a sword and attacking Kuja with just two people would be a mistake. If I can get Inoire to back off, we can finally tackle Kuja and escape through the underground tunnels with Dagger. We had to act fast too because we don't know how many soldiers are ready to charge in to help.

I direct my magic chains towards Inoire and catch him in my net of light right after he kicked Marcus in the stomach after blocking his attacks. I thought it would have been enough to put him out of the fight, but I thought wrong when he threw his sword at me. I had to dive out of the way to save my head. Before I could even start to get up, I see him come towards me after dodging a mighty slash from the bandana-wearing thief. I tried to defend myself by punching him, only for him to catch it square in his hand.

I didn't even consider the punch to be that of a bad decision, but when I heard the crack and felt red hot pain jet down my left arm, I realized fighting Inoire was already a mistake.

I instantly crumpled to the ground at the massive pain surging from my wrist. It didn't feel as bad as Black Waltz No. 3 attacking my already injured right wrist, yet any pain like this made me freeze up and scream. Upon looking at it, Inoire definitely did damage to it. My hand was twisted and misaligned. At least it wasn't bleeding heavily. Okay, that was not much of an assurance. It definitely still hurts like hell!

The momentary distraction that was my new injury was enough to tip the scales in Inoire's favor as he quickly grabbed his previously discarded sword and broke through Marcus' defenses. He then stabbed his sword through his gut, covering the blade with his blood as it stuck out the man's back.

"Marcus!" Don't tell me he killed him! Damn it! This went to hell in a hand basket fast! No items and no white magic to help with, we are done for if Steiner goes down.

I watched him as the interrogator swiftly pulled his sword out of the thief and go for the captain next, who met his attack with his own sword. He matched his attacks with his own, yet it looked like Steiner was at a disadvantage when his opponent was one-handing compared to his two-handed swinging.

One would think Steiner finally had the upper-hand when he made Inoire hop back, only to be proven wrong when Steiner was taken down by a thunderous spell impacting on his back. Kuja was delighted at finally putting an end to the fight while the other man kicked the sword away from Steiner's hands in case he wanted one more go at it. The angel of death was readying another spell to finish us off, much to the delight of the queen.

However, the man who took us down had different plans when he stood in the way of Kuja's spell.

"Killing them would be a waste." He told Kuja. "I promise you, they will not be a factor in our little play."

The bloated queen and her silver-haired mage looked like they were skeptical of his reasoning, yet they didn't object. It was the queen who was more displeased as she began to storm off while shouting at her clowns to get up and finally extract the eidolons now that we were neutralized. That was when the cavalry finally arrived as a large squad of soldiers entered the scene lead by Miss Whip-It-Good. It really shows how useless she is when she comes too late to the party.

She was right on me the very moment our eyes met and her boot connected with my face. The added agony must have been delightful for her to see when that angry look on her face twisted into a sinister smile. My new injury would have been the perfect salt in the proverbial wound if the man who broke it didn't step in.

"Please avoid from further injuring the prisoners, Miss Kendrick." He told her before kneeling beside me like before, which earned him another unsatisfied growl from the girl. It's mighty hypocritical of him for saying that when he's the reason I'm hurt in the first place.

Then he gingerly took my broken left hand and lightly wrapped a hand on it as that cold feeling takes over the limb again. It takes a few seconds that numbed my hand and arm to the point of freezing it before he pulled away. The damage he dealt was undone and my hand looked perfectly normal again. I didn't know whether to thank him or try to punch him again.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Inoire sighed. "And to think I did not have to harm the prisoners again. Please make this the last time I have to do this, Mister Skylark." He gave me this apologetic look before shaking his head and standing.

As he left my side and tended to the wounded Marcus, the soldiers put my shaking, aching hands with what felt like the same wooden restraints used on me last night. As they locked it around my wrists, the fresh feeling of my left hand being twisted out of place so easily still ran up my arm despite it being healed already. I could still feel the how numb and agonizing the first few seconds were. The damage may have been repaired, but the shaking my hand made let them knew it was still there despite how normal it looks now. After collecting the now noisy Nero by the doorway, they start to escort me out of the room

"Make sure this will be the last time they ever act out, Corporal!" Queen Brahne ordered the squad leader. "Isolate Steiner and this thieving trash."

The girl with the grudge smiled and saluted. "The cage it is, ma'am. And what about the other one?"

"Keep him in the deepest part of the prison, tie him upside down. It doesn't matter to me." I could hear Brahne's voice basically shrug at the question and place a large target on my back. If I thought today was bad, the next few hours would surely get worse.

"I'll make sure this one becomes the most obedient prisoner in history." She shoved me forward, the thought of more private time with her sent a horrifying shiver up my spine.

"Inform General Beatrix to finalize preparations for the attack. I want to wipe those filthy Burmecians off the map!" With the queen making plans for their assault on the treehouse in the desert, we were off her mind and will be soon back in captivity once again.

I am not sure how this would have gone differently. Anything but this current outcome would have been better. And I thought I had screwed up by inadvertently changing events because of where we were imprisoned, only for everything to be adjusted like it was it in the game. All I changed was shaking Steiner's belief in the royal family he has fought for and getting Marcus almost killed if it wasn't for Inoire being an unpredictable help.

But is that man really helping me? If I have to keep track of all the mysterious strangers I've met in my life and pick the best, he will most likely take first place due to being the most helpful, despite the hidden agenda even unknown to his comrades. That doesn't mean I should lower my guard when he's around. In fact, it makes him even more dangerous.

What's more dangerous is now being isolated away from Marcus and Steiner. It would have been a better fate to be stuck a 100 feet in the air in a small cage with them than being used as a punching bag while in captivity. How long will I last? I know the answer for that is unfavorable for me.

How long until the others come and break us out? The game doesn't really say what the time gap between the two groups have. From what I remember based on cutscene-driven events, the attack on Cleyra happens on happens sometime during the day. It is afternoon now, which means it could still happen today if they fly out now. If fate wants to be more unpredictable than before, it would allow the queen to attack at night. But that wouldn't happen. I didn't do anything to change their plans anyway.

Still, that message about fate is still a mystery that continues to pull me into worse situations. I have a name and face to connect the phrase, yet the meaning is still out of reach. What kind of fate do I even need to change anyway? Mine or someone else's?

What I can understand from what has happened today is that the wheel of fate keeps turning to fuck me over. Seems like a common theme for me since I've arrived on this planet. All I can hope is it doesn't continue to cause bigger problems for me in the future.

And fate decided to take it a step further when I lost my balance while being escorted down the stairs. With my hands bound behind me, trying to brace myself and shield my face while falling was immediately out of the question. All I could do was watch as I fell down the spiraling staircase.

I lost count of how many times I painfully hit a step on my way down after the first one on my head. By the time I felt I had stopped moving, I could barely move a muscle. Inoire breaking my hand earlier was more merciful compared to this. At least he put my hand back in its rightful place afterwards. Now…now I was all alone lying in a heap with possible broken bones and internal bleeding, all because I felt something hit me on the back before I was sent flying down to where I am now.

"Lexine! What the hell is wrong with you!?" I could faintly hear a voice from above. How far did I fall…?

"You heard the queen. She doesn't care." The voice of the demon argued. Even if I wanted to crawl to a corner and just hope for the best, I knew I would never get to any safe place while I'm here all by myself.

"Could you at least throw him in his cell before you start killing him slowly?" At least someone here is somewhat merciful.

Eventually I felt someone grab a generous amount of my hair and pull my head up to take a second to look down on me. She then started dragging me down the steps, definitely enjoying her display of strength on a defenseless prisoner, until she shoved me face first into a door. I'm sure my face does not function as a door opener, yet it sure did it well enough to satisfy her enough to move on to kicking me right on my stomach through another door.

She walks over to me and rests her boot on my chest, the light from the torches in the room behind her putting an ominous shadow over her. "You think you can embarrass me and make me look inept by trying to break out!? Not on my watch. It's like you want to die here by my hand."

I didn't want to look at her and listen to her threats anymore. I already understand the gist of it after being on the receiving end of it for most of the day. So I let my head hang top the side and just gaze into the wall to. Apparently, this was a good way to insult your already angry personal guard, and I felt it when she stomped on my stomach hard enough to make me cough blood before transferring her boot to my face.

"You feel that? Soak it in because you'll be feeling it a lot in the next few hours. When I'm done with you, you'll be rehabilitated and be a perfect citizen of Alexandria. You'll be thanking me for showing you what the hand of justice can do."

I wanted to say that her image of a perfect citizen is a demented, unrealistic fantasy of a fucking deranged psychopath in a one-piece swimsuit. That would have been the perfect comeback and it would have shut her up…or angered her to a murderous rage.

Of course, I didn't want to add more bruises so I just shut up. I let her drag me up to my feet and followed her command to get inside my cell. It may be another hour or another day for everyone else to get here and break out Dagger. I just hope it happens before I get murdered here.


	34. Defend The Treehouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planning for the inevitable

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 33: Defend the Tree House

\- Zidane -

Okay, so we got step one done, which was convince the guys in charge of Cleyra to let us prep some of their people in case Alexandria finds a way to break through the sandstorm. Step two might get a little complicated.

Alyssa is still a bit shocked that the King of Burmecia looked to her to help lead his people in defending Cleyra. It's like she's never been asked for a favor by royalty before. Well, a lot of people not working for royalty would have the same reaction. She's pretty hesitant when she mentioned about the incoming attack earlier when she confessed to knowing what happens next, because she feared everyone wouldn't take her seriously. Guess when she doesn't directly explain what she knows it becomes believable. That's probably why she keeps it to herself.

But she did mention that she wrote a letter to Regent Cid. She's hoping that he'll take it seriously. I mean, the guy's an oglop. He might not know how to make stuff in his current form right now, but he's still capable of a lot of things and one of those things should be keeping secrets. That is if Alyssa can trust him. If she thinks no one is gonna take an oglop seriously, then how would a simple letter with an unexplainable goal contend? When and how he's gonna react to getting anonymous mail about a certain event is up to him to believe or not. Alyssa hasn't told me if that is supposed to happen or what comes next after the attack. All she's mentioned so far is Brahne's supposed onslaught on Cleyra. I'm just hoping that things can go smoothly.

Speaking of smooth, Alyssa's hands looks like they were leaves in a tornado. After speaking up and interrupting the head honchos of Burmecia and Cleyra twice, she's missed the time to be nervous. She didn't show it that much while she was talking with them, but now that there's nothing to be nervous about, it's all just spilling out after containing it pretty well. So I suggest to her to take a walk while Freya went to get all of the available people who want to fight for their country. Quina went with Freya to help while Vivi joined us on our stroll.

Her nerves eventually calmed down when we got to the water mill. It sure was a calming sight that thing, almost hypnotizing as it spun. But from how Alyssa was acting, like looking around the water mill and gazing at the path down to the town entrance, her mind was being relaxed in a different way. When one of the forest oracles saw her and asked what was wrong, they had a brief conversation I didn't hear because Vivi definitely got hypnotized by the water mill and nearly fell into the water. Once I made sure he was okay and dry, Alyssa came back and wanted to check on more things.

Sure enough my idea got her nerves to relax, but it sure got something else running with each locale we visited in town. The way she examined the rope bridges and examined some of the stairs and ways to each part of Cleyra made me think she was thinking about something specific. Not sure exactly what, but the first thought comes to mind is she's thinking strategy. She keeps saying that Brahne might find a way to get in and try to finally snuff out the remaining citizens of Burmecia, and with what she knows she might be right that they'll find a way. Putting together a way to put up defenses for this small town is another step for us to be ready when it happens.

We eventually found ourselves right at the town square, which was exactly where we needed to be. Freya's supposed to get all of the people willing to fight and meet us back here. Guess she wasn't done yet.

"Hey Zidane," Alyssa spoke up as we waited for our dragon knight friend to get back. "Do you have any ideas we can use in defending Cleyra?"

I leaned on one of the wooden arcs close to the stairs after thinking for a bit. "Hmm…not off the top of my head."

She turned her head to Vivi and asked the same question, only to have the kid shake his head. "I don't really know…"

"We're gonna need to have a spit-balling session once Freya and Quina get back." Alyssa sighed. "Any idea is a good idea if we don't have anything to run with."

"Weren't you hatching up some ideas earlier while we were walking around?" I asked her, to which she nodded hesitantly.

"I got a few, but I don't think they'll work." She confessed. She definitely needs to believe more in her ideas. She's the one who concocted that wild plan to beat Gizamaluke. Who's to say that another one of her ideas would or wouldn't work?

"That's better than not having an idea." The black mage said.

"Besides, this is a pretty small place. They obviously can't fit every single soldier and black mage they have in their arsenal here. We're bound to have a choke point for them to squeeze through if they're not careful." I told her. "Sure, they might outnumber us, but we'll still have time to fortify our defenses to keep them out."

"I just hope the sandstorm can keep them out." Though I wish Vivi's hope can hold out until the strengthening ceremony takes place. It's our perfect magical shield and if it goes down it's gonna be hard for everyone here to hold out against everything Alexandria has in store, especially when they have Beatrix at the helm.

"Me too, Vivi." The brunette girl agreed.

Just as I was about to suggest something for our defensive strategies, Vivi retreated behind Alyssa and pointed over to the bridge connecting to the inn. There were a lot of guys in shades of blue following behind Freya and Quina. Some of them looked like they had gone through hell, stumbling and limping along, while the rest were capable enough to walk straight. There were even a few dancers and maidens of Cleyra joining them, muttering to each other in low voices. They probably heard or were asked by Freya to come along. More people just means we have more to rely on. Totaling all of that, the number of their entire group is around two dozen. Not a big number, but it's good enough.

The moment one of them noticed Vivi hiding behind Alyssa was when I realized that there's a reason why he was there.

"Why in the hell is that monster here!?" One of the injured soldiers pointed at Vivi's direction. Starting off with the elephant in the room, eh?

"We didn't come here to talk with that thing!" Another one of them added and it got some of their fellow comrades to agree.

I stepped into their line of sight, making them look at me instead of our young black mage, and glared at the guy. "Hey, knock it off, alright? He's not here looking for trouble."

Freya's hand found its way to her face the moment she realized why they were being so antsy. "I didn't gather all of us here to argue, but to come together and work for the future of Cleyra and Burmecia."

Alyssa took a spot beside me, staring down the soldiers not taking too kindly to Vivi's presence. "Just because Alexandria isn't attacking right now doesn't mean you guys are safe. They caught you guys by surprise last time and that's the last thing we want to happen again."

"You're crazy if you think anything's gonna get past that sandstorm." One of the soldiers shouted.

"Queen Brahne was crazy enough to attack you on your own turf and it worked." The sword-wielding girl countered, pointing past them to where their city lays in ruin. If there was anyone willing to argue against that they sure struggled to say anything after that. "They're bound to go with another crazy attack plan after that. They're very confident of whatever magic or plan they have after what they did to your city and I'm sure you guys don't want to be on the receiving end again."

One of the guys not swayed by her words went back to what started this whole thing by pointing at Vivi. "But what if that thing sells us out!?"

I sighed. "These guys are just looking for reasons to hate Vivi…"

Alyssa shook her head, tired of the distrust they have for our black mage. She put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him before turning to the soldiers again. "It's understandable that you don't trust Vivi because he looks like them, but he's very different from them! He's loyal, brave, and nice. Zidane and I have traveled together with him for weeks now, took part in the Festival of the Hunt together and fought our way here with Freya when we learned you guys were being attacked. Hell, even Freya can vouch for him!"

Freya nodded when everyone else looked at her. "It is true. He is young and impressionable, but when he heard of the crisis our hometown was facing, all he wanted was to help."

"He helped take back that Grotto of yours from the queen's clowns. We nearly died pushing back against her general. That bought you guys enough time to get here safely." I told them. I can still feel the cuts and bruises I got from her yesterday with a few aching every now and again. But because of that we learned to never fight her head on. If she decides to show her face here, we're gonna be prepared for her and make her pay for what she's done.

I noticed Alyssa looking at a soldier at the far side. He was holding on to his wife, who was helping him stand because of some injury he suffered in the attack. Seeing that was better than thinking of him dying in the city with his wife. Now he's with his loved one with the possibility of being able to help us, probably not physically since he's a bit limited there right now, but he might have some useful strategy to give us. He couldn't say anything, yet he nodded at Alyssa and knew that teamwork is what we need right now. He's grateful to be alive and would do whatever it takes to spend more time with his wife and his people.

"You don't like him because of his appearance. That's fine, but you're still gonna have to work together with the rest of us. Why?" She pointed past them where the sandstorm roared around them protectively. "No one else is going to walk past that storm and climb up this tree with the intent of helping you. As far as I know, you guys are on your own. We're just here to help."

Everyone else was silent, as if they didn't realize until now how alone they are if it wasn't pointed out to them. One of them might've managed to get to Lindblum and ask for help, but with their hands tied with keeping an eye on the city of Alexandria itself they couldn't act and only the five of us came. We sure aren't enough, but we gotta try and prevent their homes from getting wasted.

"Now do you want to sit here twiddling your thumbs and let Cleyra fall in a repeat of what happened recently or do you actually want to do something about it!?" Alyssa demanded from the soldiers. It shook them out of their reverie that they shouted back at her.

"Damn straight we want to do something about it!" A soldier responded with a group echoing his sentiment.

"We're gonna make them pay!" Another added, this time making the crowd cheer.

Freya smiled at seeing her fellow countrymen riled up and ready to fight for their homeland, glad that we got them on the same page as us. "Great. They will not catch us by surprise again! Gather your weapons and keep them close. We do not know when they will surface."

I could see from the edge of my eyes Alyssa heave a big sigh when everyone else started to separate from the crowd. It took guts calling out that big of a crowd to stop judging a person and rally them together against a common foe. Focusing on getting back at Brahne when she does get here is going to drive them to work hard.

"Nice composure there," I nudged the girl in the side once everyone else had wandered off. "Good thing we got their cooperation too. I wasn't really sure how just the five of us would fight off an army by ourselves."

"I just hope we don't have to actually fight them head on." Alyssa sighed. She was basically bouncing on her feet though, as if she couldn't contain her own energy. She then started to walk off towards the inn. "Can't rest yet. I have to talk to one of the oracles for something."

Before she could go though, Vivi pulled on her hand with a question in mind. "What should we do then?"

She looked over to us as if the thought hadn't crossed her mind, and it showed when she winced for a brief second. It wasn't like we were expecting to know everything to know. We're here to figure things out so we can effectively make sure Cleyra's an impenetrable fortress. Failing Freya's people twice would be a hard pill to swallow. If what we saw with how they handled the homeland of the Burmecians was a preview, I wouldn't want to know what they'll do to a small town like Cleyra.

Seeing as Alyssa can't think of what to say, Freya took the initiative. "I will see which of my brethren can fight. It is better to know ahead of time how many of them are still too injured to cross swords with the enemy." She didn't even wait for her to respond before she walked off to various soldiers, passing them with a careful eye. Even in passing glances, I know that Freya's sharp enough to know if someone's still hurt or not.

"I guess that works." Alyssa finally cracked a smile. She looked at me and Vivi until she nodded at the small black mage. Guess she finally figured out what she wanted to do. "Vivi, you should come with me. I'll need someone to help me keep track of what I'm doing since I'll be plenty distracted."

The black mage nodded and stuck to her side. Everyone might have agreed to work together, but they might still harbor some resentment for Vivi because of his appearance. It's a good choice to have him near someone he can rely on. Then she moves over to me.

"Zidane, can you try running from the town entrance to the cathedral and find the fastest route? I'll get back with you here once we're done." That's an odd thing to ask for. Sure I'm the fastest in the group, but I'm not even sure how that helps in that situation. I was about to ask why when she moved to the next person.

"And Quina," Alyssa stopped right in front of him/her, with the Qu staring intently and waiting for her instruction. There was a hint of hesitation from the sword-wielding brunette as she thought about what to say for a second. "Make sure everyone is doing whatever they can to make this a success. Okay?"

"Okay!" Quina nodded immediately, head bobbing with his/her tongue flailing around until Alyssa stepped away.

Our current instruction giver then pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards the inn. "I'm gonna be asking some people around here about some stuff. I'll let you guys know if I get anything helpful." That's a good place to start in getting info. What she's looking for there will be interesting to hear.

"Alright then. Meet back here in 10 minutes?" I ask, only for Alyssa to shake her head in return.

"Make that 5. We need all the time we can get to plan everything out." If she wants to plan every little detail of our little defense force, she's going to have a hard time perfecting everything. That's a good way to run yourself exhausted. She might want to spread it around evenly and not put everything on her shoulders. I'll feel bad if that's what she's actually doing. We're here to help each other and she might need a reminder of that.

Once we were in agreement of what to do, we went off our separate ways for the next five minutes. Quina didn't have to go anywhere far since she just bounded over to a group of Burmecians and stared at them, causing them to awkwardly back off from the strange chef. That's gonna get him/her some strange looks, even more so that they already know that he's/she's a very hungry person after seeing him/her devour at least ten bowls of the local cuisine earlier.

So I did what was asked of me, running from the town entrance of Cleyra by the Antlion sandpit towards the cathedral as fast as I can. There wasn't a lot of different ways to it, seeing as how the town being in a massive tree, space would be limited. But there were enough branches to test which way to get to my destination the fastest. I had to slip by and run past around a lot of people, which should've been expected after our little pep talk with everyone. I narrowly dodged a group of Burmecians, who were excited that they were to get back at the invaders of their city that they started training, and some observing maidens. I would've hit on them if I didn't have a girl in mind already.

While I was running, I happened to pass by Alyssa and Vivi talking with two oracles and a maiden. It seemed like it was a nice talk when I saw the Cleyra natives all smiles while Alyssa was saying something. All I got from the whole thing was something about 'inventories'. That's definitely something else I can ask her about later.

But back to what I was doing. Back and forth I went from one end of the town to the other for the past five minutes at full speed. Not only was I running, but I also tried to jump some gaps that shortened my time to the cathedral. I'm pretty pleased with the times I got, somewhere a few seconds close to a minute in one of the runs, with the shortcuts I took. Though I really want to know why Alyssa wants me to do this.

Because of that, I was the only one who came back who broke a sweat. Wiping the latest droplets off my forehead with my glove, I spoke up first when all of us were together again. We got together by the side of the town square, away from the preparing soldiers, so we may talk privately for a bit.

"I'm sure there's a reason why I had to run from one side of town to the other." I asked Alyssa. One of her hands found its way to the back of her head, scratching a certain itch that came with the sheepish grin.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I wanted to find out which route would be the fastest in case we need to get everyone to safety, and from what we've seen here is that the cathedral is pretty much the safest." I nodded along with the others. It actually makes sense. Evacuating the townspeople would be the first priority when the attack happens. We don't want to have the injured and the children to get caught in the crossfire, especially when the Burmecians' past experience with Brahne's forces is a brutal one-sided attack.

Freya stepped forward next to tell us what she got. "Almost half of the troops are hurt with up to a fourth of our remaining forces too injured to swing a sword." Then there was this glint of a smirk I noticed from behind that pale curtain of hair of hers. "But they are still willing to fight to the bitter end."

"Wow. They sure are brave." Vivi said in awe.

Everyone in our group nodded. Even back in the ruins of Burmecia we saw a few brave men and women who had fought until they couldn't anymore. Alyssa's gaze hardened when she crossed gazes with the dragon knight. "No one is fighting to the bitter end, Freya. Not if we can help it." Freya simply nodded, acknowledging that she felt the same.

"Quina make sure soldiers not lazy. No slacking!" Our chef raised his/her hand and waved it wildly, glad of his/her contribution.

"Yeah. Slacking is the last thing we need right now." I told him/her after giving the Qu thumbs up before nodding at the brunette. "How about you? Did you get anything informative that could help us?"

"Plenty of stuff." She started pulling out some papers from her satchel and glanced at its contents briefly. "I have the entire town's inventory whipped up by the helpful oracles. They happened to have some remnants of their old weapons, like explosive powder that Lindblum traded with them years ago that they used to keep the Antlion at bay whenever it got testy. I also got permission to mess with the water mill later…"

"Okay…" Everyone was nodding along as she listed what she found out. It took a good second for my mind to point out something inconsistent. "Whoa! Explosive powder!?" I stopped her from listing what she got with a short wave of my hand. What in the world is she going to use explosive powder for? And aren't Cleyrans supposed to be peaceful?

Alyssa paused, worried she missed something. "Oh that? Don't worry! They have it all in tiny pellets that they carry because of how dangerous travelling up and down the tree is. That's what they said anyway…"

Freya nodded. Why is she too calm about this? "I've heard of this before. When Burmecia and Cleyra had started cooperating through trades after the following years of the split of our people, they had to find a way repel monsters and bandits in their short travels between the tree and the city. Burmecia was kind enough to supply them with tiny pellets that have a minimal explosive property and a high smell factor. 'Stink bombs' might be more appropriate than 'explosive powder'."

Quina shrugged. "Why fix when it not break?"

"Exactly! Which is why we're taking a page off their book and use it. I think someone's bringing it out—Oh, just in time!" Her eyes landed on a couple of soldier carrying barrels down the set of stairs by the inn. There were a good five barrels put down by us and I couldn't help but step away from it. Just being cautious. Alyssa patted the helpful Burmecians on the back before pointing them over to where we originally started this whole meeting. "Thanks guys. Sit down and take a break. We're just about to start. Alright everyone, gather around! We need to do this fast!"

And start she did after hurrying everyone back to our meeting place. Alyssa began telling everyone what she had in mind. First, we were going to have to build our defenses with barricades. Alexandria's forces have to get into actually cause some damage, so we'll have the entrance and some select paths blocked off with various items the citizens were willing to lose. That included bed frames, closets, cabinets, empty barrels and extra chairs.

If that wasn't enough to actually impede them, she also told them they she plans on cutting the rope ladder that leads to the entrance. Since it meant cutting off any way to get down, they will have to stay dedicated in defending the town when it does happen. Good thing she'll only do it when the right time comes, which she said would be before the attack.

Then she asked the citizens of Cleyra if they were okay if we can inflict some property damage because she thought they could isolate a few paths by damaging the bridges between the branches of the town's locales. It would prevent Brahne's forces from flanking us in case they do get in. I would've thought they would be reluctant to agree to it, but they readily did so without question. It kinda took us off-guard with how fast they said yes to it. At least they know what they want to do in this scenario.

This would lead to informing everyone else of the quickest route to the cathedral, the safe haven of the town in case the attack would happen. So every single one of us who is injured or too young or incapable of fighting should know this part. She turned to me for a brief second since I was the one who ran the routes. So if we were to start from the entrance, the route should go to the inn, a left to the town square, and straight up to the cathedral. Clearing that up actually gave us the go to start on the barricades, since everyone now knows where to go in case things go south.

We recruited anyone who could lift to start on those barricades. Cleyra doesn't have that big of a population, even with the additional Burmecians, so there's not a lot of walls we can make out of the available furniture. But we are gonna try to make sure it'll stop the soldiers in their tracks long enough for everyone to get ready. The longer they're out of the fight, the better chances we have of surviving.

Alyssa was directing our carriers on how to make the first barrier by the entrance. Quina was also there to provide some additional strength in case they needed to move some things around. For some reason, she was trying to get everyone to do things faster. We're already short-staffed as it is and trying to get these guys to finish things faster might end up a bad decision. Fortunately, the Burmecians took it as a challenge, nodding to each other and carrying the objects they have faster to where they we remaking the wall.

However, she handed me the reins a few minutes later when she and Vivi talked with one of the oracles. She received something small from the Cleyra native and walked off with the black mage to the sand pit.

It didn't come to mind that I should've asked where she was going, but with everything needed to make this work I just assumed it was for something she'll tell me later. Everything was going fine and the first barricade was close to done when Alyssa and Vivi came back, both grimacing as if they had failed something. Then the stench hit me like a slap in the face.

"Do you happen to have some heavy-duty cologne on you at the moment?" She asked with a hopeful look directed at me.

\- OLaF -

An hour and a half passed and we'd managed to secure three barricades. One right by the ladder, another by the sand pit, and the last one in front of the inn. The last one was barely a wall and more of a massive pileup. It's still gonna prove to be a struggle to climb over it. Good job on that front.

Night was starting to cover the sky above us. Even the sandstorm can't protect us from the cold air of the evening. Most of the people we worked with started to go back to their homes or to the inn to rest so we could get more things done tomorrow. I was starting to get tired too. Content with what I've accomplished today, I wiped the sweat off my brow and walked towards the inn for some shut eye.

Only a handful of people were pushing to get some preparations done for tomorrow. There were other things being prepared around town while we made sure the last wall would last through the night. Someone said we should put traps around. Seeing as how the Cleyrans' have already made their lack of desire to fight monsters before this very clear, it's gonna be hard to find things to use as traps. Wish there were a few bear traps lying around though. There's also an idea being thrown around of clogging up the base of the tree with sand to stop anyone from getting out. Not a bad idea, but it's definitely gonna take time, which we don't have. Alyssa mentioned something about the water mill earlier and she's still trying to figure it out.

Speaking of her, we all managed to get through with the barricades this fast was because of her. She basically coached us do things faster. Not a bad thing since we're reaching the end of the day. It was as if she couldn't wait to get it done though. Sure some of the soldiers got a bit mad at her for pushing them to finish it that fast, but at least we got it done, right? Alyssa's not the type to be impatient though. If anything, this has to mean something.

I caught sight of her from the direction of the water mill. Vivi and Freya were right beside her. All of them were speaking with one of the maidens, who was standing beside a small box with looked like tools poking coming out of the top. Freya was the first to notice me walk towards them, nodding as I took a place beside her.

"Water mill still a no go?" I asked. It prompted a shake of the head from the maiden and Alyssa.

"Still working on it." The maiden replied as she took a tool from her box. "We don't want to tamper with it too much. Losing our water supply is the last thing we want to do."

"I just really want to make sure this can happen. We might not have any time left." Alyssa was pacing back and forth behind the Cleyra native as she worked on the water mill. They had to shut it down so they could work on it.

The maiden gave Alyssa a look that almost looked like annoyance, a look that didn't belong on the peaceful native's face, before going back to her task. "Please have some patience. It's not like the tree will collapse if this doesn't work."

A mumble of words would have missed my ear if I wasn't looking at the stressed girl. Something is definitely up with her and I'm not the only one who should have noticed this by now. I noticed Freya lead the girl away from the working Cleyran, going down the stairs towards the third finished barricade, for a little one on one. Vivi and I exchange a look and I could tell that he's also worried. We walk over to the edge of the stairs to get a look at the two women.

"She's been like that since we started." Vivi revealed after a few seconds of silence. "While we were going around she was talking with six people on different things at the same time. It got confusing a few times, but I tried my best following what everyone was saying." Hearing that made me scratch my head. Was she that desperate for ideas? The handful that we have ready at the moment should be enough. While it's good to be ready for anything, she honestly can't plan for every single thing.

"It's like she's afraid of the thought of Alexandria coming here." I couldn't help mention. It's one way to look at it, but it doesn't sound right.

"No, she didn't look scared." His gaze moved away from them and let it stay on the swirling storm around us, pausing for a while until he shook his head. "She was more…nervous."

Looking back at her while Freya talked to her, she seemed a bit fidgety. It's the almost like the kind of way a person would move if they're constantly looking over their shoulder trying to find anyone trailing them. At least she's able to keep up with what Freya's saying, though with the dragon knight's senses she's bound to notice something's up with her. We continued to watch them until the swordswoman gestured to the inn and got a nod from Freya before they started to walk up the stairs.

I could even tell she is just trying to hide it when the brunette looked back at us and smiled, a shaky one at that. Is that why she's acting weird, that she just doesn't want to let it show? We're all her friends. I know that the King of Burmecia wants us to succeed and all, but I'm sure he knows we're doing all we can here. Our plans aren't that perfect anyway so she should be fine with what we got done.

The both of them joined us at the top of the stairs and Freya is the one to speak first. "I shall make sure that the preparations we made are secure before turning in for the night." She nods to a spot above us towards one of the branches.

"With how everything went today, everything's gonna go fine." I said confidently.

"It would definitely help if we're sure of that." Alyssa muttered.

"The more you worry about it the more you're gonna doubt it'll work." I told her. "C'mon, have some faith in what we've done here." It looked like she was about to say something else, yet she held back and kept it in.

Freya then proceeded to walk past us and went on her way, jumping to one of the higher branches above us. There may have been three of us left, but it was still early in the night and there's still some people moving about. Like Quina, who was adding more stuff to the barricade, despite one of the soldiers telling him/her to stop. Most of the oracles and maidens seemed to have disappeared to their homes for a night's rest. It sounds like a good idea, but not until I have a word with Alyssa.

"You should turn in too, Vivi." I turned to the black mage. "Don't want you to be tired tomorrow morning when we have more stuff to do."

He looked to me and then to Alyssa a few times before he got my point. With a nod, he started walking towards the inn. "Okay."

"Try getting Quina too." Alyssa added, glancing at the Qu's handiwork on the blockade. "She'll need it."

"Okay. Good night." Vivi waved to us as he crossed the bridge carefully to where his bed was.

After a few seconds of waving, I put a hand on Alyssa's shoulder and gestured for her to follow me. There's a hint of confusion on her face yet she didn't hesitate to walk with me to the Observation deck behind the inn.

Even in the dark I could see the gust of the sandstorm around Cleyra with the help of some lanterns. It almost made the mountains surrounding the tree vanish from how it twists the color outside. Is that why Cleyra is called 'The City of Illusion'? From what I heard from some of the maidens, this is a good place to meditate since there's a peaceful vibe around here. That's not why we're actually here though.

When she sat down, she started to calm a bit as she took in the cold air being blown by the storm. "At least you're relaxing now." She gives me this sheepish smile, already knowing what I meant. "I know you're not the kind of girl that casually leads soldiers. Doesn't mean you have to get too stressed about it."

Alyssa shakes her head with that smile still present. "It's not just that. There's just too many things I'm thinking about and I can't help it."

"What's on your mind then? I bet once you say it you'll feel a lot better."

She looked down on her hands resting on her lap and sighed. "It's not that easy, Zidane."

"Nothing in the world is, but you can't do anything about it if you don't start." I leaned forward on my knees and thought of a guess on what's bothering her so much. Could be a lot of things like lingering injuries, trying to get used to that magic she started using, worried about Blake. But the one I'm thinking of is something she's shared with me recently. "Is it related to what you said last time? That you know a few things that will happen?"

Despite her smile dropping and sighing to herself, she nodded.

"So what are you worried about? Knowing what's gonna happen should make things easier."

"Like I said, it's not that easy." She turned away and looked at the sandstorm. "Knowing what happens is simple. Acting against what you know is what complicates things."

Complicates things? I don't really know much about future knowledge and all that kind of stuff, but I thought knowing the future ought to be helpful. Acting against it sounds like it's the last thing you want to do. But I guess that's why it's not that simple. Alyssa probably figured I didn't follow what she meant so she continued explained.

"It's very hard to explain without going to specifics. Things involving the future." The girl looked around, probably trying to find something that could help her. "Well let's just say that time is a straight line that goes on forever." She mimes a line going straight ahead. "Let's take in the fact that I know everything that happens. If I were to do something that isn't supposed to happen," She joins both of her index fingers side by side and then lets the other go the other way." The line wouldn't stay straight and my actions would make another line that goes to a different direction, one that's similar to the original, but different overall as a reaction to my actions. And that's gonna be tough for someone with previous future knowledge."

I think about what she said for a minute in an attempt to understand it. "So any action you make that's not supposed to happen is dangerous because it's not supposed to happen…?"

"Yeah! That's why I have to be careful in considering what I should do." Then she stands up starts pacing around. So much for relaxing. "Not only is it dangerous, but it can completely make everything I know not matter anymore. It's not important to me, but it's important to Blake." Her face drops to her hands and groans into it. "He's gonna freak out when he hears that I'm doing all I can for Cleyra to survive."

"It's going to be fine. Just don't think about what Blake-" I tried to assure her. Surely there's got to be a bright side to all of this. But then I realized what she had said last. "Wait, what do you mean 'he hears that I'm doing all I can for Cleyra to survive'? I mean isn't that why we're here? To warn them and keep them safe?"

She stops her pacing, her shoulders frozen in surprise. It was only then was she was awfully aware of what had slipped past her lips. There's this tense silence between us. I'm waiting for an answer and she looks like she had said too much. I knew this whole future knowledge thing is important to Alyssa, but I didn't know it was a minefield to traverse.

Eventually she moves again, her hands meet her face again and she sinks back down to her seat. I could barely hear her voice behind her hands. "Why did this have to happen… This is a mess..."

I didn't want to push her for any details if this is how she's going to react, but I can't let her leave it at that. There's gotta be something she can tell me to help me understand why she's so panicked. "Let's calm down and breathe. I need you to tell me what you meant by what you said earlier. I know it sounds complicated but I'll try my best to understand."

With a big sigh, she finally drops her hands from her face and I'm faced with a resigned Alyssa slumped over her knees and shaking her head slowly this time. "This is why I didn't want to talk about this kind of stuff. It gets harder to keep in the more I say anything."

"On the flip side, the more you say, the less you have to hide."

"Pretty much." After a quiet second, she lets loose with another resigned, yet decisive sigh and finally straightens in her seat. "Alright. I'll tell you, but you have to promise me that once we're done here, you're going to act like you never heard this from me."

That's gonna be hard to do if that's the type of secret she's keeping. If her trying to keep it all in is a sign then it's probably for the best. So I nod and stay quiet, listening only to the breeze and to what she's about to say. Her eyebrows cross together as she collects herself, as if trying to remember a horrible memory, before she spoke again.

"Blake is gonna freak out about Cleyra surviving because it's not supposed to survive. You guys come here and fail fighting them off because they catch you off-guard again." It sounded so bleak and final that it felt unreal to hear. Even Alyssa's affected by just saying it. Normally I wouldn't believe anything that sounds like that, but after hearing what she knows earlier, I know she's not messing around. But still I don't know how it could be that bad. Still I wanted to know how bad it was. "Brahne wins again and finally wipes out Cleyra from the map."

If she's surprised by my jaw dropping as low as it can manage then she barely showed it. Apparently it's the right reaction because she was nodding with a grimace. Clearly it's going to be worse than what happened in Burmecia. Letting Brahne succeed in killing every Burmecian and laying waste to their final sanctuary would be the worst thing that we could allow to happen. I get it now. That's why she's so caught up in doing this.

For one person to know such an event will happen has to be taxing, especially when they are trying to do something about it. But Blake knows this too, right? He didn't look like he's worried about anything. Either he was internalizing all of it all too well or he didn't plan on acting on it. That makes it worse on Alyssa's behalf. Is that what they were arguing about?

"We're just normal people and all we have is information. If you didn't know, information is power."

So this is what he meant by that. And if Alyssa's analogy comes into play, all they know would be affected if they do anything different and that adds to her worries.

"So if what you're saying is right, not only are worried about the attack, but you're also stressed on the outcome." I clarified.

Her hurried nods confirmed it. "Out of the many things this could affect, those two are probably on top."

"Probably?"

She leans back on her seat with a groan, scratching her hair irritably. "It's soooo complicated that it's making my head hurt. I just don't want to talk about it anymore. Who knows what else I would say..."

I shrug. That's probably enough secret sharing for today. It's enlightening to know what she's hiding from everyone, and helpful for her since she doesn't have to keep much from me, but there's definitely more of that where it came from. There's just one more thing I wanted to know from her though.

"So I take it that this is related to why you're trying to accomplish a lot in just a few hours?"

"There's only so much we can do between now and tomorrow. That's pretty short if you ask me. We need all the time we can get trying to lock this place down and making sure Cleyra still stands when Queen Brahne's done here." And that's a tough goal if we have to put what happened in Burmecia into consideration. Their soldiers are tough, and with black mages backing them up, they would be formidable. And then there's Beatrix. There's no way in hell we'll beat her in a straight up fight.

"But why the rush? It's not like they have an opportunity to strike right now." Then she gave me this huge tell when she stared at the ground when she heard me. Of course she already knows when they'll attack. She knows the future.

I was about to stand and suggest that we should turn in for the night. It was getting late and with all this talk of secrecy and futures, Alyssa is gonna need all the rest she can get.

But then I noticed something past her. There was something in the sandstorm that shimmered against the dim natural light of the night. It gave off this appearance of the storm slowing down. We felt the town's natural breeze grow harsh to the point we have to cover our eyes.

Through the cracks of our fingers we saw a light start to envelop the outside of the storm and the tree. It felt like we had our hands up to our face to cover from the sand blowing against us and the sudden light from blinding us, but in truth it was only a minute when the gust and light finally died down. I was just about to ask Alyssa if she's alright when I saw the shocked look on her face. A few seconds later, I had the same look on my face because of one thing. There was a reason why that weird wind and light show happened.

The sandstorm around Cleyra had disappeared.

"Oh no…" Alyssa muttered faintly, her feet taking two nervous steps backward from the sandstorm-less sight at the edge of the Observatory. The night felt colder without it. It was as if the tree had shed a layer of itself, now more vulnerable than before. Just as I was about to say something to her, she bolted from her spot towards the cathedral.

"Hold on! What's wrong!?" I ran after her wondering why she was going to the top of the tree. I caught up to her by the end of the bridge leading to the top, but didn't try to stop her until she plowed through the main door of the cathedral. "Slow down!"

We both came to a screeching halt when we got through the second set of doors and stood there right before a group of maidens staring at the far right of the room where a harp and its player was positioned. Let me rephrase that: the remains of a harp and its player.

I saw it being displayed exactly where it is right now earlier today. It would've gotten the attention of anyone with good taste and slippery fingers with the amount of gil it could sell for, especially at the right price. Not only that, it also had a shiny stone for an ornament on top; I guess it's also important if it was there. Now the harp was damaged. It's strings no longer finely tuned and was now cut, not able anymore to entice the gathered maidens to dance.

No one in the cathedral had moved despite our abrupt entrance. The shock from everyone is still palpable. The King and the High Priest could only stare at the view of the balcony to our left, the sight of a clear night sky could not find any place that would be scared of seeing its usually beautiful sight other than Cleyra.

"This is a terrible omen…" The King of Burmecia muttered. Everyone shared her belief as the room was filled with uncertain mumblings.

Someone else had skidded to a stop and arrived beside us. It only took a second to realize that it was Freya, whose question silenced the crowd. "What happened?"

"Th-The harp. It's strings suddenly broke off…" The maiden standing by the instrument replied.

The Cleyran High Priest stepped out of the balcony and stared at the clear skies once again, putting his hands on the railing with his head lowered. "In all my years as High Priest, I have never expected our magic to fail like this."

While everyone in the room was trying to understand what the hell was going on, Alyssa finally overcame her shock and moved, shaking her head as walked out of the room. I followed her outside and only overtook her when we were a good distance away from the cathedral.

"Okay, from how you're reacting to that, this is not looking good for us. Shouldn't you have expected this to happen if you know the future?" I kept my voice low as the town was starting to liven up now that they've noticed their protective sandstorm is now gone.

"I knew, but it wasn't supposed to happen like this!" She hissed, distressed, as she paced in front of me. The panic was there again and it seemed to have doubled compared to last time. She doesn't look like she wants to talk about it. If I push her for more info I might get stonewalled.

Wait… so Cleyra does get attacked, but with the sandstorm in place it would be impenetrable. It's definitely vulnerable now that it has gone away. I know now that Alyssa knew that already and she was trying to hurry everyone to have anything we have prepared. From what she said earlier, we needed all the time we could get. That was why she asked if the High Priest and the King would allow us to use everyone available so we could get more done. Well, she didn't actually ask that. She asked if they could postpone the Strengthening Ceremony so we could-

"Is this why you had the Strengthening Ceremony postponed?" My realization had already left my mouth before I could keep it in. There's a flash of guilt on her face that I managed to see before she turned away. It's not the worst secret to keep since telling everyone that would cause some discomfort and panic.

"I think I'm starting to understand why Blake doesn't want to do this type of thing." I could hear her mumble to herself before she tried to retreat to the inn. Both of us were stopped by Freya calling out to us. "Freya, good timing. We need to get some people up and about. At least half up and watching the skies and the entrance while we let the everyone else rest up. Cleyra might get attacked in the middle of the night and we'd be doubly vulnerable if that happens."

"Got it." Freya ran ahead of us, using that agility of hers to jump and cut the distance to where the soldiers were sleeping short. We were basically on her tail a moment later.

Vivi and Quina were just exiting the inn when we got there; The younger one rubbing his eyes while the Qu was slumped as he/she walked out. Both were obviously woken up by the commotion in the town. It was buzzing with nervous talk and anxious bravado now that their magical defenses were put down. Some were wondering what had happened and none of them had a concrete answer.

"What's happening?" Vivi asked groggily.

"Sandstorm vanished. We're open to attacks now." I summarized for them. That's the only time they noticed the lack of swirling sand around us. Guess they got used to it that they looked past it. Now that they've seen a Cleyra without it they looked like they didn't know what to say about it.

"They come and fight now?" Quina pulled out his/her giant fork, eyeing various directions for any baddie dumb enough to attack.

"Not yet, but they'll surely get here soon." Alyssa answered cautiously. Both of them nodded, fully awake now that they know what's happening. "Whether this is part of their plan or not doesn't matter anymore. It happened and we need to be ready when they come."

We went inside the inn and took all our items with us a minute later. Not even before we could get properly plan out where to go from there, we hear someone shout from one of the high branches of the town. I could barely understand what he was saying because of the distance, but Freya helped out by landing near us and pointing her spear at a certain direction. Alyssa followed her lead and went to the farthest part of town heading that direction, running past the inn and up a few branches until she stopped at the edge of the town square.

Quina, Vivi, and I followed behind her and tried to see where she was looking. Somewhere in the distance in the night sky I could see a dot moving. And it wasn't alone. The figures were coming right at us and it was led by a red ship.

The Red Rose. It didn't take a genius to know who it was. The queen of Alexandria was right in the horizon and she's bringing a lot of her forces to try and bring this tree down.

"That has to be them! We have to do something before they get here." Vivi tried to be proactive. But right now we didn't have a lot of offensive options.

"We can't do much right now. Cleyra doesn't have much technology to use against them. But what we can do is delay them. What we can do is start evacuating the citizens to the cathedral. Give me a second." Alyssa takes me by the arm and pulls me towards Freya. "Zidane, I need you and Freya to go down the trunk while they're not yet here."

"How should we delay them?" Freya asks.

"Since you guys are agile enough to get to places people can't normally get to, I want you guys to disable as much of the mechanisms that helped get us up here. That should throw a wrench in their approach."

From what I remember there should be a handful of switches and levers that operates sand flow within the trunk. As long as we can put as much sand in their way means the longer Cleyra lasts in this attack. We can just start at the very bottom and work our way to the top. Both Freya and I nod at each other, a silent understanding between the both of us. However, Alyssa stops me from moving, her hand taking my wrist, while Freya goes ahead.

"Please get back here as fast as you can when you're done." The swordswoman told me. She only let go when I nodded, taking Vivi and Quina somewhere else to prepare for their parts.

Meeting up with Freya at the town entrance after moving around the barricades, we wordlessly nod and slide down the tightly secure ladder. It wouldn't be secure there for long when we get back. We were basically running past the quicksand pit by the ladder, and the monsters buzzing about, except for the ones that were really in the way, to get to the bottom as fast as we can. There were only a few times we had to move a switch so we can move through a room or just climb out of the tree and jump down. I may have not had Freya's jumping skill, but my tail definitely helped swing and climb in and out of the tree.

It took a good few minutes to get to the first door. I could already see some Alexandrian soldiers gathering by the wooden platform bridges. Around three airships had set down and were unloading them by the numbers. A big squad had already marched halfway through the bridges. If only we had anything that can destroy these bridges. That'll buy us a lot of time. But for now, we'll just have to settle with making this door not work.

Somehow, a few of them from the leading squad noticed us and pointed us out, shouting for the rest of their forces to hurry up. Freya closed the door with a simple attack on the switch outside before they could properly started running at us. When it swished closed behind her, I started to run back the way we came from when I noticed Freya not behind me. I looked over and see she hadn't moved from the door.

"I don't understand," I heard her speak just as I was about to ask what was wrong. "They're only deploying soldiers. What of the black mages?"

Now that she mentioned it, I didn't see any of them on the ground with the soldiers. "Maybe they're putting out the soldiers first or they're on a different ship. I dunno." I shrugged, unsure of what they're planning. "We can think why later. Right now we have to make sure they'll have a hard time getting up to the town."

She let out a thoughtful breath before she started moving again. It was a fair point, but we really didn't have time to think about it. Alyssa probably has an idea about it or we'll know for sure later.

Climbing up the tree knowing what to do this time while ignoring every monster and breaking the occasional switch for any doors or sand flow mechanism is so much faster, especially when there's no Sand Golem constantly getting in the way. Though maybe what we did was a bit overkill, feeding its power stone to a giant bird and burning it dead, might be a hindrance now. It might've put down a good number of Alexandria's soldiers if it was still here. What's done is done now.

There were at least one or two things we didn't touch because we couldn't be sure how it'll get fixed. Come to think of it, we're breaking important machinery that clears the way up. Someone has to fix it eventually when the whole attack is done. I hope they wouldn't mind us breaking their stuff and that they're not going anywhere soon.

It takes as much time going up as we did going down. The night was quiet aside from the distant airships touching down at the base of the tree. It wasn't much noise, but it felt comforting that they were still far away. Talk about the calm before the storm. Something felt off though. It's like having that feeling we're missing something. I bet it's the same kind that becomes obvious the moment we realize it.

And it became real obvious the moment I saw smoke above and heard the screams following it.

The moment Freya realized that Cleyra was under attack, she started jumping up to the top, almost leaving me behind by the rope bridge. Good thing we were very close to the quicksand holes. I finished up cutting the rope, hoping that would deter them from crossing, and went to follow her back to the town. I quickly cut off the top of the rope ladder once I was done climbing it and ran into town, bypassing first barricade by going around it.

What I saw was chaos. The soldiers of Burmecia were fighting off the black mages and they were struggling against them. These ones were more different the ones that attacked the Grotto and Burmecia. Compared to the simple black and white outfit, these ones had a purple mosaic coat and beige pants with the only same part of their attire being their pointy hats.

Freya was right to think something's up when the black mages weren't at the base of the tree. They weren't gonna march up the tree. Actually, they're coming down from the air, dropped from the skies in these transparent bubbles and they appear out of it, wreaking havoc the moment they take their first step in town. What's worse is that they can choose any spot in Cleyra to touch down, completely ignoring the barricades we put up to stop them.

Many of the soldiers were struggling with the numbers the black mages had against them. There were at least a three-to-one advantage for the mages and it looked like they were burning through them fast. Charging at them was hardly effective. With that in mind, there was no way they could take them out without sacrificing their numbers. That's not we want to do on our home turf.

I jumped a few more branches and got close to the inn. Alyssa was there right by the door with Vivi right behind her with three vulnerable maidens shaking like leaves. Vivi froze three approaching black mages from the staircase going to the Observatory. Alyssa put up her barrier in front of her and it was big enough to stop the enemy at their tracks. Thankfully they have a barricade by the steps in front of the inn to protect them from two black mages, but with how they were putting fire on it it wouldn't last long.

"Deploy the barrels!" I heard Alyssa shout. There were voices from above that took me by surprise that answered back, but not as surprised when a barrel attached to a rope nearly got me. I was able to hop back a step to avoid one from hitting me.

I wasn't the only one that got caught off-guard by it. Many of the attacking black mages didn't see it coming, nailing a bunch of them to the ground or off the side of the tree, stopping their offensive pressure. It gave Alyssa and Vivi enough of an opening to counter them, the former taking down the remaining mages in front of her barrier with her sword and the latter blasting the rest with his Thundara magic.

"Coast is clear," I reported as I landed by them now that they had a moment to breathe.

"Zidane!" Vivi cried. "Did you stop the soldiers?"

"As much as Freya and I can. Dunno how long until they find a way to get past all that sand and broken doors." I answered uncertainly.

"That's fine. If they do find a way then hopefully these barricades hold them off for a few more minutes." Alyssa said, now feeling cautiously optimistic about the blocked routes.

Our favorite dragon knight had our backs as she landed softly by the staircase to the Observatory, stopping a group of black mages from coming down with multiple swipes from her spear. "We have to get the civilians to the cathedral and get rid of as much of the enemy as we can!"

We all nodded and started to follow the evacuation route we had all agreed to earlier, only to be stopped by a new batch of black mages coming down from their magic bubbles. At least eight of them were in our immediate front, effectively blocking off the left side stairway route to the town square. 8 pairs of gloved hands were raised and 8 monotone voices spoke with malicious intent.

"KILL…"

My hands went up defensively, as if it's going to be enough to block burning fire, the moment they pointed their hands at us. The heat was there, but the feeling of heat on our skin was distant. I put down my hands and saw that Alyssa had saved us with one of her barriers once again. A long purple wall prevented any fire from hitting us, yet it didn't stop them from firing on it continually.

There were so many of them that finding an opening would be impossible. Some of them were hit by the swinging barrels and knocked them off the stairs and down the tree. However, that still left a lot of them trying to break through her defense. When she saw one of them fall off, her head snapped up and I could see her face turn thoughtful. I was about to ask what she was thinking when she put her foot up and took a step forward, only for her barrier to follow in her action, inching towards the direction of the enemy.

One of the mages at the front collided with it as it absently marched and used magic, causing some of its clothes to ignite. It didn't really bother it as it continued to approach as if the barrier wasn't there. Alyssa took another steps and her barrier pushed them back, causing them to stumble against each other as Alyssa forced them backwards. When more of them were against it, her shoulders pushed up as if the mages were resisting her, only they actually weren't. She pushed and pushed until she got them trapped between various steps with no way else to go. Another barrel collided with one of them, making another fall off to its death as Alyssa continued to trap them despite their backs being open in case they want to run back, which they continue to ignore.

"Let's see if this works…" I heard Alyssa grunt. She gave the mages one more push, cornering the pile of mages. Then she moved her arms apart. The barrier followed her movement, dividing its long form into two squares as it started pushing the remaining enemies off the staircase until they were all gone.

Alyssa stumbled when the barrier disappeared, struggling to maintain her stance after taking so many hits for us. I was about to lend her my shoulder so we could get moving, but she shook her head and tried to walk on her own legs.

"Thanks. We should get these girls to the cathedral right now." She said as we had some space to breathe before pointing up the stairs on the right side. "Let's get going."

When we reached the Observatory, we were met with more civilians hiding in the open observation meditating area. Not really an effective place to hide, but at least none of them look hurt, just panicked and scared. So now we had two options on where to go. To our left was the town square. There's a good number of our guys there struggling to keep that place in check and a few of them were keeping some civilians guarded and safe. That's not gonna last long though. Damn it, most of the injured were already goners! Those mages made it unfair to fight them in close quarters when there's so much of them coming from the sky. Do they have airships high above the town?

Right in front of us was the meadow of flowers leading to the cathedral. It's pretty open with no cover whatsoever and a bit long from here to our destination. The Burmecians were fighting a losing battle in the meadows. They were getting mowed down faster than a tiny fire going through a single sheet of paper. Flat out running would the only choice if they want to avoid getting fried.

"I will go ahead and clear the way." Freya said, taking her spear and jumping into the fray without a second thought. She probably thought seeing her countrymen hurt like that was enough and she had to step in.

"W-Wait! You don't have to go alone!" Vivi said as he ran into the meadow. The guy was just too quick for us to stop since he's already halfway to her before I could even react.

Their presence attracted the attention of the mages in the meadows right after Freya took out three of them a second after she landed. That gave some of the soldiers an opportunity to strike back. More mages appeared from those bubbles from the dark sky and almost caught her with their magic, only to be on the receiving end of Vivi's Fire magic. When a good chunk of them were taken out, a group of soldiers in blue came to fetch the civilians to lead them to safety while the others were currently making an opening for them.

With all of the civilians we had with us on their way to safety, Alyssa and I looked over to the town square. The guys over there are scattered and desperate, hiding behind carts and stands while trying to keep an eye on the noncombatants. They needed a lot of help. If this is the state we are in with just one part of their forces attacking, it will be hell for us.

I start running over the bridge before Alyssa could say anything, but I knew she was right behind me. A black mage saw me coming and unleashed ice right at me, forcing me to jump to one of the nearest branches. It made me stop a bit. I could flank them like this while Alyssa goes for the direct approach. So I keep hopping from branch to branch, looking for a good angle to come in until I spotted some of the tied up barrels above. That should give us an opening. I got up to the traps and started letting them loose.

Like at the inn earlier, the black mages didn't see it coming. Many of them got walloped by the barrels and knocking them down one by one. It distracted the others that weren't hit and gave the Burmecians an opportunity to strike back, cutting down the enemy with their swords.

Spotting a few mages trying to recover from getting a barrel to their faces, I land close to them and keep them down for good with my daggers meeting their backs. I dashed to the civilians to give them a hand. I could see Alyssa running our way after taking care of a black mage in front of her, shouting encouragements to the defenders of the town.

"Use your agility! Don't just run up and charge at them. Go around! Make the tree your playground!" I added to the encouragement I flanked, looking for a good entry point.

I could see one of the soldiers take her word as advice as he approached one of the mages. Just before he could get hit by its Thundara spell, he extended his hand and was whisked out of the spell's way by a swinging barrel. Now perched on the trap, he jumped off on its way back and landed on top of the attacker on its way back, burying his sword into its body before swinging it around to defend against another magic attack.

Inspired by one of their brethren making it work, the other Burmecians started hopping around the town square to flank and confuse the mages. They landed on small branches or the small roofs of the remaining stalls around the area to hanging off the ledge of town square to dodge attacks, only to spring back up a few feet to the side to catch them by surprise. It may have not ensured everyone to be safe when a handful still got blasted with Thundara when they weren't fast enough, but it made defending that area easier for them to take them out and for us to get the rest of the civilians to evacuate to the cathedral.

"Bad news!" One of the wounded soldiers pointed to the town entrance once we had no more threats around. We were at a higher point in the tree, making it easier for us to see what he meant.

Just when the mages were starting to slow down, we're met with another part of their attacking army. Alexandria's forces finally got up to the town entrance and it looks like they managed to find a way to get up here despite the broken ladder and the other things we broke. Did they power through the monsters broken doors, quick sand, and sand-waterfalls? Doesn't matter now that they are literally knocking on our door.

They were trying to dismantle the first barricade while getting more people up to the entrance. It was a slow and steady pace they were making and it'll be a matter of minutes until they break through.

Alyssa was looking around frantically. "Alright, we need to move the injured and civilians to the cathedral. Get a small group together and guide them there. Once you're done, stay there and guard the cathedral." She told one of the soldiers. He nodded and six of them exited the town square to start evacuating. We're left with a decent chunk of men, but had to wait to consider what we should do next. "It's gonna take some time for them to clear through the barricades, so that means we can prep the barrels again. That won't be enough though." She was muttering as she paced.

"We can't obviously stop all of them when the mages come back!" A soldier argued.

"That's not the point. They're planning something and it feels bad." I could feel her glance at me before she turned in her pacing. "We just have to make sure they don't get to the cathedral. As long as that happens, we have to put down as many as we can."

"Won't they overrun us?" Another asked, tone worried. She didn't answer this time and instead frowned at the sight of the Alexandrian soldiers damaging the barricade. Knowing the odds before made her prepare all of this and now there's this uncertainty after seeing all what's happening now. I'm sure she has our next step all figured out. All it takes is finding out how to execute it.

As if on cue, she found one of the barrels containing the small stink pellets. She opened it and took out some, judging how light they are before grinning. "These should distract them and they won't even expect them."

Then she threw a few of them at the soldiers by the barricade. Upon impact by their feet, the pellets shattered and the air around them seemed to change in color. Some of them froze as if something in the night affected them. Suddenly, sounds of disgust and whining came about, stopping their progress on the barricade as they coughed and gagged, only a small number braved the smell in the air and demanded they keep it together.

As helpful as it is to us, there's gonna be a point this won't work anymore. We had to act fast and take down the remaining mages so we can focus on all of them before more show up. Alyssa knew it too from how she frowned and looked around. Was she looking for something else to slow down the attacking forces?

"Alyssa! We need more help by the Observation deck!" Then came the voice of Vivi asking for help. Alyssa brightened and turned to meet the young black mage, nodding and directing most of the soldiers here to help their fellow Burmecian, leaving three of them here with us. We didn't have much trouble over here anyways.

"Nice timing, Vi! We need your help on something." Alyssa said once the tree's defenders were on their way. She pointed over to the first blockade below. Vivi gasped at the sight of the female soldiers and was worried to see them so close to doing away with all the furniture. That stopped when I threw another set of pellets, slowing them down again as they gagged on the smell. "You see that barrel on the other side of barricade? It's a barrel of these pellets. Once a good number of them are around it, I want you to use Fire on it."

A massive stink bomb would probably be debilitating to the point of choking on the smell. Imagining it was easy, though how much of it would spread is a small concern. We're above it so we're gonna be part of the collateral. Not that it would matter since it'll only be smell. Them, on the other, would get blasted by it and would be right at the center of it. It should take a good chunk of them out.

We could have waited for them to finish. That changed when a group of black mages appeared behind us. Alyssa got hit by a Blizzara spell, making her unable to use her shielding magic until she recovered from the blast.

They suddenly fell to the ground when our frog-loving friend finally made an appearance by running through the magic users. Talk about great timing. However, she ignored them and hopped over to us while doing this weird dance.

"Found treats in cathedral! Secret treats!" She announced excitedly. I sure hope the High Priest and the King didn't mind her getting her hands on them.

Before she could share what she ate, she got blasted by ice by one of the black mages she knocked down. Vivi retaliated with an ice spell of his own to the same baddie while the defending Burmecians tried to strike at them.. More of them were starting to recover and form up again. I may not have magic abilities on hand, but I did the next best thing and took some stink pellets and threw it at the enemy.

They flinched upon getting hit and a second later I had to cover my nose at the smell coming from them. Their attacks stopped and they stood frozen in their spots, making us hesitate for a second. When their eyes went wide and hands went to their noses, we knew they could be affected as much by the pellets' smell. Our soldier friends backed up at the smell, not wanting to let it stick to their uniforms. I nodded to Vivi and it prompted him to fry them with a Fira spell. It was as effective as ever, and it looked like the explosion was bigger than before, as it wiped out the attacking group.

"That not smell so good. Me no hungry anymore." Quina shook her head at the smell around us and scooted away from it until she was right behind Vivi.

The sound of wood cracking caught our attention. We turn around and see the Alexandrian soldiers have finished taking apart the blockade and were storming the next one. They already have a considerable number present at the entrance. It was time to trim them down.

I nodded over to the entrance when I caught Alyssa's eye. She was trying to shake off the ice she got hit with. A nod to Vivi was the go signal to set the barrel of stink pellets on fire.

What happened next was unexpected. After the barrel was lit, it caught the soldiers by surprise and some saw we were watching them from above. Before they should more threats at us, the barrel detonated violently, lighting up the darkness of the night briefly, and scattered their forces throughout the tree. The stink pellets must have added a lot of unexpected extra 'oomph' to the blast as its smell still lingered. I had to turn away from looking at the damage for too long. The Burmecians, on the other hand, cheered. Either it was for putting a temporary stop at their progress or the disturbing explosion, it was up in the air at the moment. This might be a war, but that's not a visual I'm planning on cementing in my brain.

"That...was not part of the plan…" Alyssa stated with sufficient shock in her voice. She prompted Vivi to turn away from the sight as well while the cries of the wounded Alexandrians filled the night. It's cruel to say they deserved it since not all of them wanted to takeover Burmecia and Cleyra, that they're just fighting for their kingdom. Let's just say I'm not looking forward doing it again for the next blockades.

"Let's try to tone it down a bit. That was pretty bloody." I suggested. Both Vivi, who had also looked away from the scene, Quina, and Alyssa nodded in agreement.

"You'll pay for that!" One of the attackers shouted at us, complete with the vengeful fist shake. "We'll smear your blood all over this tree and burn it to the ground!"

That threat may have done nothing but give more pride to the soldiers on our side. I wouldn't be cheering right now if I was them though. We're nowhere done to fighting them off. This actually made them more determined to stomp us to the ground. Alyssa, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable. It's fine if she's considering not doing that ever again.

Our band of cheering soldiers stopped and pointed at the entrance to the town. A group of four Alexandrians were stationed there and they were looking at our direction. I had to squint and stare for a bit to see what they were doing.

"Arrows!" The call happened too late and an arrow struck one of our guys in the abdomen. What a hell of a shot! Of course, complimenting them for their accuracy was a waste as they kept shooting at us. We started backing off towards the middle of the square while Alyssa blocked the rest of the arrows with her magic shield.

"Bow and arrows? When did they get that!?" Alyssa asked no one in particular.

A lot of murmuring happened between our guys, but they were suddenly silenced when the air was filled with a single crack. It happened so fast that all we saw was one of the Burmecians, the same one who got hit by the arrow, falling over and red liquid splattering in the air. A second later, he was on the ground and a spot on his head was pushing out blood.

His friends were right beside him when they realized what happened. He was attacked. By who or what, they didn't know. But I remember that sound. It's only been a few days, yet it's still fresh in my mind.

In Burmecia, it was from the that guy who nearly killed her, Rayner Ellison was his name. Whatever that weapon was he used at the palace entrance, this is surely the same one.

I glance over to Alyssa and a completely horrified look enveloped her face as she watched the soldier struggle with his life. It wasn't that she is seeing someone die before her eyes, it was more than that. She started backing away from the scene and would have fallen off the tree if I hadn't taken hold of her arm. Her arm - no, her entire being was shaking like a leaf.

There was nothing we can do now. Just a single look at the hit spells lethal and anything lethal to the head means you're done. I tried looking around in the hopes I'll be able to see where this attack is coming from.

Another crack came and a second soldier went down. The wound wasn't on the chest this time. The projectile met his shoulder, yet it looked as painful as the first one.

"We gotta move!" I shouted to the rest, dragging Alyssa by the arm towards the bridge to the Observatory deck to avoid what felt like a volley coming our way as some projectiles hit the floor around us. The injured defender was helped to his feet as quickly as his brethren could and followed behind Quina and Vivi. We were temporarily stopped by a pair of black mages approaching from the other side. Vivi fired the first shot with a Blizzara on the first one, blocking the other one's way and line of fire. I let go of Alyssa and lunged, sticking my first dagger through the frozen one's chest and cut at the second one before knocking him off-balance and finally off our path with his friend.

Once we were in the clear, the Burmecians started to panic. "What the hell was that!? Who did that? Where did it come from!?"

All valid questions. Too bad I didn't have any answers for two of them. He was trying to stop the blood from gushing by ripping a part of his sleeve and wrapping it around his friend's wound. Two spots of blood on the cloth, one of the top side of his shoulder and another near the armpit, and it's a worrying sight. He's going to lose so much blood in a short amount of time.

...Projectiles definitely have to come somewhere. I know that it's from that jerk who attacked Alyssa. It would be impossible for him to attack us from below. Then that means he's somewhere above us!

I put my head out of the small Observation shed and looked up, trying to see if there's something different in the branches and leaves in the cover of the night. I could barely see anything up there. Before could identify anything hiding up in the leaves, I was pulled back. The timing was perfect when I heard that sound again and a small part of the floor where my head was at broke apart. Looking over my shoulder, I see Alyssa is the one who saved my head there.

"Thanks, but what do we do now?" I asked. I couldn't help but look at the edge of the roof. He's out there above us. If he's as accurate with his weapon as an ace archer could be, we'll be pinned here for a long time.

Alyssa is about to suggest something until she flinched at the sound of another projectile landed close. She lost her words for a few seconds and her eyes looked lost as well in those moments. Our current helplessness was slightly remedied when Freya arrived, landing beside the building before retreating to our side.

"Is that the same assailant from the Palace Entrance back in Burmecia?" She remembered him too. When she noticed how out of it Alyssa is at the moment, she turned to me with a concerned look. I nodded and confirmed what she is thinking. "We need to get him down his perch."

"Whatever he's using, it's faster than normal weaponry." The wounded Burmecian groaned, trying to fix himself while avoiding any shoulder movement.

A crashing sound washed over us, the source coming from the direction of the inn. They were breaking through the second barricade while their black mages were still wreaking havoc where their soldiers can't reach. We have to split up for a moment so we could, at least, get some control over the situation.

"We should be able to get up there easily." I told Freya. Then I turned to Vivi. "While we're distracting that man above us, you need to set those barrels on fire again."

"A-Are you sure?" Vivi stammered. I was about to assure him when Alyssa finally spoke up. She put a hand on her shoulder as she finally recovered for her daze.

"I-It's not a-a good sight for someone s-so young to see, b-but it has to be done. The less we have to worry a-about them, the better our chances. S-Sorry Vivi." She sounded grim and it felt like she would do anything else than this. We're deep in the corner and we need all we can use and she knew it.

Vivi put his gloved hand over hers and looked up. "I can do it. Leave it to me."

"I help when they break through!" Quina added with a swing of her fork.

Freya and I exchanged nods, ready to go out there and get our man. We have to be careful though. One hit would be enough to knock us out of the fight, especially when there's a high fall involved if he's close to the top of the tree. There's two of us so it should prove difficult to hit both of us when we're coming at him at the same time. We just need to find him.

A few more cracks worked its way through the air, impacting against the roof of the Observatory deck. It's sturdy enough to hold, but we can't wait here forever. Freya quietly extended her spear to the open space towards the bridge to draw his fire. The moment I heard something hit her spear, I jumped out in the open and climbed the roof from the opposite side. I jumped there to the closest extending branches, swinging towards the trunk of the tree. Freya wasn't far behind, using her jumping skills she has to easily clear the distance and height needed in just a few bounds.

Both of us climbed the tree in different sides at our different paces. I couldn't see how far Freya is ahead of me, but I noticed that I wasn't being attacked that much. There's still sounds of the weapon coming, but not just at me. I figured Freya's in his sights instead of me.

So I tried to climb faster and looks harder for the guy. Not much tree left with the very top coming so close. Just how high did this guy need to be to attack us? And how did he find a way up here without us noticing? Strangely enough, I noticed a deep indentations in the tree's side and they were going up. Talk about good timing. I followed the indentations as it moved towards the left, right where I could hear Freya is, until I found a branch overlooking a good portion of the town. Knelt right in the middle attacking Freya is that guy who helped attack Burmecia.

Once I had a good foothold on the branch, I started making my way to him at a steady and quiet pace. My plan didn't even hold for a few seconds when he glanced at me, a moment later his weapon followed and fired a couple of projectiles at me. I fell off the branch to dodge, my tail swinging me around to get back on it. To hell with surprise. I flat out ran at him while he was trying to insert something in his weapon. He decided to hell with it as well as he placed it on his back and drew knives from his sleeves.

I jumped over him as he attacked and let my tail nail him in the face. His brief confusion switched to annoyance when I went for a counterattack, lunging with a series of slashes from my daggers. Well more like attempt to lunge, until he threw one of his knives at me. It was pretty easy to lean out of its way, but it was less of an attack and more of a distraction as he closed the distance for his moment to strike. Even with just one knife, he was on me like a chocobo on Gyashl Pickles. His swipes were fast and he didn't let the small space we were fighting in bother him while he was on the defensive.

The tables were turned when Freya finally emerged, jumping from a lower level and cut at the man with the odd jacket. Ellison rolled the other way and barely hung on to the branch we were standing on, the spear missing by mere inches. Freya threw her weapon at the man, causing our enemy to hop back after he recovered, but I didn't let him rest. I jumped at him, using the spear as a pole to swing on, and nailed him in the chest with my feet. That knocked him on his back a few good feet away from us.

"Climbing trees has never been my forte." He mumbled while he picked himself back up. "Fighting in a tree around 100 feet tall? Never thought I'd do it in my life. Still not a big fan of it though."

"You're outnumbered two to one. Drop your weapons and we might just take it easy on you." I told him, still maintaining a fighting stance in case he makes any sudden movements.

His hands were going up in surrender, as if taking our words seriously. But the smirk spreading all over his face said otherwise. "Sometimes I don't care about the odds."

With a quick flick of his wrist, the remaining knife in his hand flew our way. Freya shouldered past me carefully and quickly went to her spear, pulling it out of the branch and knocking the knife out of the air in one smooth movement. She lunged at our attacker, all the while spinning her spear for another strike. He dropped down on his back and swept at her feet, only to miss as Freya jumped over him for another swipe. Not sure how wise it was but he rolled off the branch to move out of the way of the long weapon.

Surprisingly, he didn't fall. Ellison held on to the side, his hands gripping the stable parts of the branch while the rest of him dangled. I'm not letting him get away that easily! I overtake him from above and drop down, dangling in front of him with my tail holding on to a part of the branch. He met my attacks with his feet, kicking away my hands each time they came close.

Both of us were at a standstill and we weren't backing down anytime soon. Freya looked to turn the tide by attacking from above with her spear. That caused Ellison to lean away and move out of her range, which proved difficult for him with me right on him. I thought it'd be enough to get him to slip up, but when I lunged at him with both of my blades, he moved over to the side and nailed me with a solid kick in the head. He didn't stop there as he planted both of his feet on my chest, almost making me fall off if I hadn't used both my hands to stop myself from swinging off.

When Freya tried to help by stabbing at him, he moved out of the spear's way and grabbed hold of its shaft. Then he pulled down harshly. Freya probably didn't expect this to happen as she was thrown off the branch and was about to fall. But I didn't let that happen as I grabbed her arm. Our combined weight was too much for my tail alone and it forced me to keep us up here with my other arm.

A chuckle enters my ears and I hear a click. Right in front of me, Ellison is holding on with one arm and an amused smile, while the other hand has a small object pointed at me. It looked like it's made of metal, the inside of the opening was dark and small, but something tells me the type of damage this could have is deadly.

"Time to stop playing around." Ellison said, his grip on the object tightening.


	35. Jewel of Her Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Climax of the Cleyra Invasion

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 34: Jewel of Her Eye

\- Alyssa -

  
I watch Zidane and Freya exit the Observation deck, drawing the attention of that crazy man sitting somewhere above us, while the sound of gunfire kept me cemented to the spot beside Quina. The sound echoed throughout the night and it seemed never-ending when they came one after the other. I wanted to cover my ears and force out the sound.

Knowing that he’s here made feel two things: One, wanting to make him pay for what he did in Burmecia; Two, hide behind cover as long as he has that rifle of his.

  
Why did he have to use a gun? Of all the things here in this world and you bring a gun? Could have been a magic sword or a sharp scythe or robot limbs, but he had to have a gun! An old looking one at that, but it works fine either way for him.

  
My eyes glance at Vivi and Quina. They were standing there under the small gazebo we were in, our only shield against the bullets of that maroon-jacket wearing gunner, waiting for the right time to run out there. Just to my left are the remaining Burmecians we had with us before we ran here. One of them was still bleeding from two bullet wounds that was made by a single shot. The bullet must’ve gone through the arm. At least now it had a bandage to stop it most of it. Good thing his buddy was able to carry him here to safety.

  
We need to keep moving. All of the townspeople should be at the cathedral and anyone out here are either hurt or fighting the storm of black mages coming in through the night sky. They probably have an airship hovering above us so they can easily throw them at us. All I can do is guess as to how much the Burmecians can take before they start losing ground. Once Vivi blows up the second barrel, we should leave and get to the cathedral.

  
Safety isn’t the only reason for the retreat. I have to make sure General Beatrix doesn’t beat us there. If she does, she’ll take the jewel connected to the broken harp and order a retreat. Their retreat is nice and all, but if they do that then that means Cleyra gets burned down like a matchstick, except the fire will make a crater instead.

  
I take a few deep breaths and close my eyes. I’m not getting shot at. Freya and Zidane will buy us enough time. You can’t help if you’re not calm, Alyssa. Breathe and calm down. I’ll fight him when he’s standing in front of me. The others will help me this time and I’ll help them against the general. We’re a team.

  
Calm down and concentrate.

  
One more shot echoed through the night. After that we’re left with a few seconds of silence.

  
Vivi looked up at me and then at Quina. The silence was surprising. It didn’t last when the Burmecian beside me nudged me. “Go! That’s your cue!”

  
Quina heard this and acted on it, excitedly running out of our safe zone and down the steps leading to the inn with no hesitation. Vivi nearly tripped as he followed, trying to tell the Qu to slow down. I would have run after them in a heartbeat. The thought of the gunman hiding in the darkness of the tree above kept me in place. My eyes would glance to the roof, expecting the sound of another bang to echo out and a bullet to hit somewhere close. Nothing came aside from the sounds of swords clashing with wood and pained cries around the area.

  
_“KILL!”_

  
The monotone shouts broke me out of my daze, turning me around towards the direction of the cathedral, where most of the fighting was happening, as a pair of black mages had appeared. Seeing them made me bring up my hands in defense. The jewel around my neck glowed and answered my call quickly, protecting me and the two Burmecians before the magic could hit us.

  
The unwounded Burmecian drew his sword and approached the barrier, looking at me over his shoulder with a nod. I took mine as well and came closer before pushing at the barrier like before. It sent the mages stumbling back a few steps, a good enough time for us to swing at them. Blood was drawn at the first cut and they went down after two more. The Burmecian stabbed at one of them one more time with a drawn out grunt, probably to let off a bit of anger for what they did to their city.

  
“We need to get you two back at the Cathedral.” I told them once we felt it was safe. Both of them understood, but they needed someone to cover for them. “Being injured out here is bound to paint a target on your back. I’ll get you as close as I can.”

  
After helping his wounded buddy to his feet, I lead them towards the Cathedral. The mages’ number were dwindling down. However it doesn’t feel like we’re winning at the moment. They’re probably waiting for a better time to set them all loose since the soldiers they have are a bit stuck at the moment. With the enemies at the gates, we only have a few more minutes before the real fight begins.

  
I couldn’t help but look above to see if Zidane and Freya are doing fine. I could barely make out some movement on one of the far branches near the top. They have to be doing fine. They’re better fighters than the rest of us.

  
The closer we got to the cathedral, more of their fellow brethren gathered to help. They carried him inside, a gasp of thanks came my way before he was rushed through the doors. I scanned the area for a second and saw no more mages. We’re clear for now.

  
“A-Are we winning?” One of the soldiers around me asked.

  
“Not yet.” I answered, my voice low to listen for any monotone voice wanting to kill us all. “Keep your guard up. They’re still out there.” Right now we need more people by the entrance since they’re close to breaking through the barricades. I asked the Burmecians if they can help me in making sure the Inn would be secure.

  
About five of them volunteered and followed me. Before we could even get close towards the town square, a gunshot breaks through the night. It’s softer than the other shots before it. That only made me worry more. I stop moving and look up.

  
From the branch I spotted earlier I could see two things falling. My mind immediately identifies them, but it connects what I heard earlier to what’s happening now. I leave the Burmecians and rush towards where I think they’re falling, the Observatory deck, hoping that they’ll recover in midair and be alright.

  
Freya managed to right herself eventually and caught Zidane, who didn’t seem to have moved since I saw them fall, before landing on one of the branches and hopped down until we were on even level. I walk up to them and prepare for the horrible reveal of a gunshot wound on either of them. She let Zidane down and checked both of them.  
Nothing. No blood or wounds.

  
“Alyssa, are you okay?” Zidane’s voice made me realize that they were fine. He even sounded fine, a bit louder than usual though. Sure he sounded a bit tired and breathless after fighting high up in the tree and he was cupping his left ear, but fine nonetheless. They didn’t get shot. Imagine the relief wash over me that I started laughing. Sure both of them were looking at me weird, but knowing that they were fine was all that mattered.

  
My laughs were cut off when I heard an explosion coming from the Inn’s direction. Vivi must’ve blown up the second barrel. There were less screaming than the first one, but there’s still the lingering smell of the stink bombs floating in the air. If the blast didn’t kill them, the smell might, which is probably the worst way to die right now. Maybe we can threaten them that we’ve rigged the entire tree with stink bombs and we’ll blow them up if they continue attacking.

Probably won’t work and it’ll doubly won’t go well.

“Defend the barricade! Take down those that try to get past!” Freya’s countrymen shouted as they ran past us.

  
Before I could let Zidane and Freya go, I need to know what happened up there. “Guys, are you alright? What happened up there?”

  
Zidane nodded. “Yeah, still doing fine. Almost died up there if I didn’t let go and fall.” So that’s why they were falling. I thought he shot them off the branch or something.  
“But he is still up there, unfortunately.” Freya gravely added. I look up to try and see if I could catch a glimpse of him.

  
“If he’s still there, he’s gonna keep shooting at us.” I muttered, shaking my head at the thought. It’s especially bad when he can aim at us from a place so high and nail someone in the head with a single bullet. Maybe we should pull back while he hasn’t shot at us yet.

  
“Well he’s not attacking us right now. We probably made him move to a different spot.” He assumed. It’s a good point, but he’s much higher than where we are right now and it takes a solid minute for them to get back up there. He could still be there just waiting for us to pop up in his sights.

  
I turn my head towards the Inn and hear the shouts of both parties before assessing the route to the cathedral. It was as safe as it gets tonight, maybe as safe as it’ll ever be again. If we have to retreat while he’s not firing at us, we’ll just straight out bolt to the cathedral. If not, I’ll use my barrier to cover us. Let’s just hope that it can stop the bullets when that happens.

  
Just as I was about to consider what to do next, I see Freya move her arm, pulling me down so fast I could only shout words that were barely a sentence. When we hit the floor, I heard different voices that didn’t belong to Zidane or Freya and they were all girly-sounding yet intense. I turned my head to see the familiar helmets of the Alexandrian soldiers standing there in their gray attire and swinging their sharp swords.

  
How did they get here? Aren’t Vivi, Quina, and the Burmecians supposed to keep them at bay by the blockade? Now there’s four of them coming right at us!

  
Zidane may not have the answer to that, but she did fight them off, lunging at the two in the front. He put together his daggers to form his thief sword, spinning them over his head to block their overhead swings. A kick to the abdomen sent one of them back before cutting at the other soldier. It left a grave mark and is enough to render her out of the fight.

  
Freya stepped in with a wide swing of her weapon. One soldier ducked before it could hit her and the other blocked with her...small axes? It left her open for Zidane to stab her. Another one down. The last one, the one Zidane knocked down just a few seconds ago, is on the receiving end of a boot to the head that effectively knocked her out.

  
While they are making sure no one else would appear out of thin air, my eyes went to the small axes the soldier used. I picked them up and examined them. They didn’t look like the type of axe I’ve seen in medieval pictures. And then there’s the weird accessory tied around her waist. When did plain rope become fashionable? It didn’t make any sense.

  
“Another one!” Freya calls out. From the edge of my eye I barely saw another soldier. She was climbing up from the edge of the Observatory close to the trunk. She doesn’t get the opportunity to stand tall and threaten them when Freya did her best impression of Leonidas, sans the quote. Zidane and I stand by her to look down where the soldier came from.

  
My eyes widen when I see a lot of Alexandrians climbing the trunk of the tree. Many of them are using rope latched to various spaces of the tree. If they weren’t using rope, they were climbing up with the small axes. This surprises us so much that we could barely move at the sight of the soldiers being like ants on the massive tree.

  
This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen! They were supposed to storm us from the front after the black mages come in, not climb up the trunk using rope and axes! I didn’t think they’d resort to this since the invasion happens so fast in the game. I mean why would they go with this tactic if they were able to overpower them with just the black mages and clean up with their own soldiers? Taking over isn’t their goal though. It’s taking what the King of Burmecia and the Cleyran High Priest is keeping safe in the cathedral.

  
Would it be safe to think that they expected more of a fight than their attack in Burmecia that they thought of doing this?

  
“We need to tell the others to retreat. Like right now!” I tell them. There’s only a handful of us left out here while the rest of our guys were making sure the cathedral is safe. Thankfully, both of them agreed with Zidane running ahead of us to see how they are faring.

  
I thought Freya would have jumped ahead of us to warn her brethren, only to stop me with a hand on my arm. “Alyssa, that man is attacking us with a weapon I’ve only seen for the first time back in Burmecia. No one else wields anything like it now or has ever before --.”

  
I nod, understanding how powerful a gun is, especially when this world doesn’t have any of them. “That’s why next time we’re going to take him down once and for all and take those weapons of him away.”

  
She releases my hand as she puts herself between me and the stairs. “You did not let me finish. There is something else I noticed. The few times we encountered him with his surprise attacks, we barely had an idea what he is using. Yet you would always stand frozen, horrified to even hear it. That fear speaks volumes of familiarity. Why would you have that kind of reaction whenever he would attack?”

  
The question causes me to step back from her. How did she connect those dots and make that conclusion!?

  
No, I shouldn’t be surprised. Someone’s bound to figure something out eventually. It’s only a matter of time. What’s surprising is how she put it all together. But this isn’t really the time to talk about it. The lives of everyone in Cleyra are at stake.

  
“Freya, I know how suspicious it sounds. We don’t have time to talk about this right now, but I promise I will tell you what you want to know. Just not now.” I pleaded.

  
She moved her gaze away as if to consider what I said. Now that I think about it, even if we finish up here, prevent Beatrix from getting away, and save Cleyra, we still won’t have time to talk about this because we storm Alexandria next and get separated there. That is if my meddling doesn’t change what happens in Alexandria. And that’s a big IF.

  
Finally she looks at me again and surprises me with an agreeing nod. Relieved that I managed to push another conversation about my secrets and feeling a bit guilty with the thought that we might not get to talk about this for a long time, I decided to focus more on what’s happening now rather than the future.

  
But Freya wanted to say one more thing before she leapt into action. “If this is a very sensitive topic then I will not force you to share it. This brief talk of ours has already given me the answer I needed.”

  
Well...at least she sounds like she...understands? But that last part though…

  
Okay, I really need to focus.

  
I followed her lead and run down the stairs to the last barricade and we find that it’s still holding out against the Alexandrians. Some of them were either resorting to brute force with their swords or moving the furniture out of the way, but with both parties not agreeing how to go about this made it more complicated than it needed to. But that didn’t stop the climbers to take our guys from behind.

  
Not a good way to put it, but that’s how it was going.

  
Vivi was getting the ones shooting arrows at us to chill with his Blizzard magic while Quina and the rest of the volunteering Burmecians are trying to fight off the soldiers climbing up the trunk. One of them had already died at their hand because of the surprise attack, but they won’t let it happen again if the way they are kicking and slashing at them hinted at that. It looked hard for them to defend that part of the town since the front of the Inn is kinda narrow. At least there were only a few of them that got up here. More are coming, but we’ll just keep an eye on them and kick them out.

  
The dragon knight made her presence known when her spear met the back of an Alexandrian soldier, blood instantly trailing down her uniform as she fell on her knees. Freya landed beside her and deflected another attack coming from her left. Zidane came in by sliding between the legs of another soldier and tripped her up. While Zidane was busy mixing up most of them and giving openings for our guys, I went to Vivi’s side, who was busy running interference for the barricade, and put up a barrier after I saw two black mages appearing right beside him. Quina shut them down by squashing them against the barrier and knocking them out.

  
It took a while for us to clear the Inn entrance, but we eventually earned it after a few minutes. “We have to leave the barricade,” I announced. It was met with incredulous shouts from the Burmecians. “We can’t fight them off forever. There’s definitely too many of them to fight off. They’re storming the front, coming from the sky, they have a guy attacking us from above, and now they are literally climbing up the tree.”

  
“Why should that stop us when we’re doing fine?” A Burmecian demanded.

  
“Either they give up or they wipe us out. One’s not gonna happen anytime soon and the other will end with all of us dead. We’re stuck in a tree with no way out and this wall of furniture is barely holding it together. This,” I gestured to everything around us, “is not fine. We need a better plan.”

  
Zidane took a glance of the area around us until he found something. “Did they finally get that to work?” He nodded over to the left side of town. Just a floor and a branch above us is the Water Mill, the source of the town’s power. I’ve been trying to have that thing fixed for a trap that could help us. Not sure if they got it to work or how we can activate it.

  
“I don’t think so.” I shook my head at the thought of the girl who was helping me with the water mill. “I tried explaining to her that my idea involved spinning it so hard that the water rises and floods this way.” The Burmecians looked at me like I had said something stupid, the same way the maiden did when I told her.  
“Do you even know how water mills work?” A soldier asked hesitantly.

  
I hung my head in shame. “Apparently, I don’t.”

  
“Whatever! Back to the matter at hand.” Another of our soldiers interrupted. “Those barrels look like they do tons of damage. We have more of those, right?” He does bring up a good point after a second of silent thinking. I think we still have a few more barrels of stink pellets, but it’s only that effective when it was a surprise. The enemy now knows to avoid them when they can.

  
“What are we gonna do? Smother them with the worst smell in the world? Seeing their own people get blown up only made them more determined to break through.” The guy beside me argued.

  
The first guy’s shoulders sagged slightly, but he was still trying to push through with his idea. “That’ll still slow them down.”

  
“And that will give us less options when we use all of them up. It’s better to keep them for later in case we can figure something out.” But then the question becomes when it would be appropriate to use it if not now.

  
“Like what? Make a barricade of the remaining barrels? Sure, that’ll stop them.”

  
While the image of every invading Alexandrian stopping in horror of the sight of a triangle-shaped barricade of stink pellet barrels made me chuckle, I got an idea that wasn’t close to that funny image. But it did make use of the rest of the barrels. It’ll be more explosive than one barrel’s worth of stink pellets.

  
“I have a stupid idea that might corner us if it doesn’t work well.” I blurted out while we still had time. Everyone’s attention went to me and waited for whatever grand suggestion I had in mind. “We need the rest of the barrels first. Anyone who can lift come with me. Freya and Vivi, get the injured back to the cathedral and take care of any stragglers on the way there. We’ll meet you there later.”

  
Our group divided into two groups, one moving up past the Observatory while the rest going inside the Inn. We had moved the rest of the stink pellets in here because it’d be a pain to send someone to carry it over here. It saved me time and energy to have them close to the battle when we need it. One of our volunteers had died in the scuffle and two were injured, so now the four of us will have to rush back thrice to the inn to get all of the stink pellets.

  
My plan goes like this. We have the barrels placed on three places: One of them is on the right-side stairs beside the inn. Another is on the left-side stairs going to the water mill. And the last one is on the stairs connecting the main town square to the cathedral. It’s going to be like the barricades, except they can’t break through them this time. I can get Vivi to blow the barrels up and destroy any method they have of getting to the cathedral. We also cut the rope bridges in case they find a way to get over the broken stairs. If they do manage to get past those obstacles, it’ll probably take enough time that we’re basically funneling them.

  
And funneling them means we can take care of their soldiers with the rest of our numbers while keeping the cathedral safe. It’s not the best plan, but it’s what we can run with. I’ll gladly take anyone else’s idea if they have any.

  
First part (lining the Observatory route with barrels) was the easiest of the three. Coming back and carrying the rest of them to the two other points is going to be time consuming, time that we’re already running short of. By the time we’re finished dodging arrows from the Alexandrian archers (cool sports team name though) and putting five barrels on the Water mill stairs route, the last barricade is about to come undone. And we didn’t have Vivi to blow up our stink pellets! He’s probably on his way back now so let’s now worry about that.

Our Burmecian friend was leading us, trying to encourage us to move faster. He carried one on his shoulder, Quina easily carried two under both arms, and Zidane and I each had one. The barrels weren’t that big or heavy, but it sure wasn’t fun carrying them up some stairs. Good thing they were only two flights of stairs we have to climb. From how the Burmecian was doing, it looked like he’s done this a lot. Is this part of their military training?

Just as I was turning around to see how our last blockade was holding out, that horrific and familiar sound of a bullet whipping through the air pounded against my ears. In a split second, our eager member of the Burmecian army fell to the ground, the barrel on his shoulder dropping to the ground and rolling away from him. He screamed in pain for a few seconds, clutching his arm as his life force started to drain away from his wound, only to be silenced a second later.

“Alyssa!” Zidane shouted. He was rushing towards me, not even bothering to drop the item he’s holding in both hands. I could see past him the Burmecian’s blood starting to gather under his body. As terrible of a sight it was, I couldn’t get my eyes of it. But when the blond thief grabbed my shoulder, he shook me out of my daze. “We need a barrier now!”

I didn’t wait for another shot to ring out to surround the three of us in a big barrier. Another person bleeding out is the last thing we need right now. I’ve never tried it before since all I’ve done are straight up walls, but picturing this shell of protective magic cover us sure helped.

We all waited in bated breath to see where the shot is coming this time. To think Zidane and Freya had scared the sniper off. I guess that I’m stupid to hope that one round with them would be enough. He just went away for a while and now found a better place to pick us off. Now we’re basically sitting ducks. With that in mind, I thought since I managed to push black mages and divide my barrier earlier, maybe I could keep it on us while walking to our destination.

I focused on keeping the barrier up while moving towards the stairs. Zidane and Quina realized what I was doing and followed my lead with Zidane moving the dropped barrel with his foot.. Ellison probably enjoyed the sight of our turtle-like approach since he didn’t shoot at us for a while. He’s either amused by our current situation or he’s waiting for me to drop the barrier. If he’s the latter, he sure didn’t wait long when he took a shot at us.

The bullet would have hit Zidane right in the head if it wasn’t for the barrier. It was stuck in place for a full second, enough for us to stare at it before it fell to the ground with a clink. A second bullet came and it would’ve hit Quina’s face. Both of them clearly flinched at how close it was. If that wasn’t our signal to move faster, the sound of shouting by the inn was what pushed us to rush.

By the time we got halfway up the stairs, with Zidane struggling to lift two barrels at the same time and eventually putting them up a few steps of each other until we reached the center of the staircase, we caught sight of Vivi and Freya coming back by way of the Observatory. There were two things I immediately thought when I saw them. One, we can finally set this plan into motion. And two, they are way out in the open and are about to get shot.

“Freya! He’s back!” I called out to her after putting down my barrier for a moment. Being shot at earlier might’ve been a good thing for us because it gave us a general direction where Ellison was, which was somewhere around the town entrance. So I pointed and hoped Freya understood. She did when she took Vivi into her arms and jumped, clearing the bridge to the Observatory in one go and found cover in the gazebo.

They might have gotten there safely, but we had taken our sweet time making things are ready. The triumphant roar from the inn was surely heard up to the cathedral. Before we knew it, we could see a couple of Alexandrian soldiers starting to run into town.

We all rushed towards Vivi and Freya as they started to fight off as many soldiers as they can with Quina and Zidane getting there before I could, completely ignoring the gunman possibly aiming to shoot our brains out. The moment we finished crossing the bridge, I cut the ropes with my sword, and sever any attempt the soldiers on that side to get to where we were. But that still doesn’t cover the ones rushing in from the inn’s staircase.

“Vivi! Blow up the other one over there!” I shouted, pointing a finger towards the stairs to the cathedral while I attempted to back him up.

Our friendly black mage briefly pointed his hands at the stacked barrels where we placed them on the stairs and they blew up before any Alexandrian could reach it. Many of them were sent flying away from the force of the explosion. Despite being shielded from that, I still felt dizzy while the nauseating smoke started to clear that I had to deactivate the barrier around us.

I hope the citizens of Cleyra were fine with us breaking a lot of their stuff because that blast did quite a bit of damage seeing as how almost half of the stairs didn’t exist anymore. No one is definitely going that way ever again.

The Alexandrians saw how bad it was and was already running the other way to stop us from doing it again. The ones we were already fighting thought to skip past us and go straight to where everyone else was. Freya was the first to act on it, jumping over the bridge and clearing the gap with her excellent skills and stopped them in their tracks with her spear. While that was happening, the rest of us were trying to fight off a growing number of women in gray.

I was starting to think it might not be worth getting to the barrels when the dozens of soldiers started overwhelming us. Quina was the easiest to hit because of she’s the biggest target among us. Her apron had been cut up a lot in the span of seconds. That didn’t stop her from overpowering most of them, sending a few off the deck. Zidane could barely get away when he would attack and was stuck mostly trying to bob and weave between each woman trying to get to him. I bet the irony is hitting him harder than the knee that just connected with his gut. I was struggling to keep Vivi safe with my barrier from any of the archers from the town square area as well as the other women trying to slice and dice us.

Trying to block all of these swords and arrows from hitting us was starting to make my head hurt. With every hit the barrier took it felt like my brain was throbbing from too much exertion and it was making me dizzy. But I have to keep this up or else we’ll be skewered from all directions. A look over to the bridge made me feel worse. Freya was fighting off the soldiers running past us, as well as the black mages that had appeared behind her, sandwiching her in the middle of the bridge. It was a losing battle for her and it’ll only be a matter of time until she gets taken down.

Another crack in the wind and another bullet hit the barrier. This time it was lodged in there, almost half of it got through. Ellison definitely was not messing around anymore. What was worse is my barrier starting crack from it. One of the soldiers noticed it and went straight on the attack, hammering the pink magic wall on the same spot the bullet hit. It felt worse and worse with each hit to the point that I felt throwing up.

And it would have happened too if their attention focused on me. Instead, they turned to the bridge for some reason. One second they were looking at the bridge, next they were fighting off a storm of slashes from a rugged javelin. Majority of the soldiers didn’t even know what hit them, and looking at the bridge as Freya looked on at who saved us, it looked like even the black mages also didn’t. When the dust settled, we stared at the crowd of bodies now laying around us and the cause of the carnage stood at the center, his javelin stained with blood but held ready in case of an attack.

“You shall fall like leaves in the wind under the force of my blade.” He quickly turned to us and nodded towards the bridge. “Now run! Unless you desire to be overrun with invaders once again!”

I finally let the pink wall drop, the relief of not using the magic necklace’s power sent me on my knees. But I didn’t have time right now to be resting. Not yet. Vivi helped me up and we all started going over the bridge towards the cathedral with Zidane cutting the rope bridge once everyone was clear of it. I didn’t even have to look back to know Freya was still looking at the guy, knowing that the love of her life had come back to her just when she thought things were rough. It’s going to be painful for her when she realizes what’s wrong with him in T-minus 5 five minutes. But that wouldn’t be as painful as what’s coming for us next.

Once the four of us, plus the kind stranger who would be introduced as Sir Fratley, were inside the cathedral, everyone pushed the door closed and locked it. I dropped to the ground on my knees again, trying to fight away the headache from too much magic use, a new feeling for me, and the pain of the few attacks that did get to me. Vivi kept me company with a potion vial in his hand as well. Now that we’re here, I could use a few seconds to breathe and recover before the shit really hits the fan.

Looking around, I could see a hefty amount of people gathered around the entrance and the hall. Many of them were Cleyrans, maidens and oracles shaking in fear and glancing at any window through the night to see if the horrible attackers were in sight. Other survivors surrounded them were the Burmecians, majority of them soldiers who put up a good fight, while the only noncombatants from them was a small family composed of two children, a mother, and an injured father.

I noticed that they talking the second the door was secured as I tried to drink a potion vial. Some of them spoke with questions like, “Are they gone?”, “How many of them are there?”, and “Where are the others?”; others were talking about how they wouldn’t survive before dawn even breaks and that it would be a matter of time until they find a way to get past the gaps we made to keep this place safe. Some of them knew the answers already and others wanted to believe differently. I want to believe that I’d made a change for the better, but it still felt like we were fighting a losing battle.

Even with all the injured and wounded we have here, I’m glad we managed to get as many of them here safely as possible. Of course, that comes with the shadow of guilt looming over me when I think about the Burmecians that fought and died to help us out there. I wanted more of them to be here with us safely, but there’s nothing I could do anymore about it. All I can do now is make sure nothing else happens tonight.

Not wanting to be stuck here for long and prepare for a certain someone’s impending entrance, I get up and push myself towards the main room with Vivi following behind me. The others had already gone ahead of us and that meant the story was moving on without me in it. I had to make sure no one gets close to the jewel on the harp.

The moment I got in there, people were divided into three groups. First, the King of Burmecia trying to strategize with some of his remaining soldiers. Second, The Cleyrans trying to reach out to whatever deity or higher power to protect them. And third, the reunion of Freya and Sir Fratley by the balcony, who spoke to each other in soft voices. Well, it looked like Freya was the only one speaking since I could see Sir Fratley just looking at her. Anyone else not involved, which was our group, lingered by the sidelines.

Getting to the harp would be simple, but I’m sure it’ll turns heads if I just grab the jewel on it. I’m sure they’ll allow me to just hang out by it so I can protect it from General Beatrix when her moment comes. For now I can let myself breathe and recover from using too much magic. I bet my MP is low if I had a MP bar somewhere.

Positioning myself close to wall nearest to the broken instrument, I kept a hand on my sword as I took another look at the room. It seemed Sir Fratley and Freya are having their falling out. His amnesia must’ve been mentioned already, therefore he has no memory of his past aside from the simple title of ‘dragon knight’, which was the only thing that made him come here and meet Prince Puck. And speaking of the unruly prince, he ran in and briefly explained how he found the lost and wandering Burmecian.

With nothing else to keep him there aside from faint memories, Sir Fratley left by leaping off the balcony, probably to the other branches on the tree so he can exit safely. It would’ve been nice if he stuck around more. He could help us with Beatrix. But that idea is a little late now that him and Puck are gone. Who knows how Puck is gonna leave with majority of the bridges cut and the Alexandrian army knocking down on our doorstep.

Everyone’s calmed down by now after that happened and Zidane’s trying to rally anyone still willing to fight. All the Burmecians still armed cheered in reply, and even those with injuries joined in since they still felt like fighting. Which means now would be a great time for a certain high ranking member of the Alexandrian army to come and wreck us. I looked around and found no sign of her. I took a glance out of the many open windows and saw nothing but the darkness in the sky dimly lit by the stars. I wasn’t sure how long it’s been dark. If only I had a watch or a phone to tell me the time. But then I’d have to adjust it to this world’s time--

Alright, concentrate!

Maybe I should cover some of the open windows with barriers since it looks like that’s how General Beatrix is coming in. I’d get questionable looks, but that should hold her off for a while. And then I could make a show about how I’m struggling to keep using my barrier magic and ‘accidentally’ knock the harp over. When they see the general come in and causes a ruckus, I should be able to grab the jewel and keep it safe.

This should work. I take a breath and calm myself. I can explain myself later, but now keeping that jewel away from Alexandrian hands is the priority.

I look all over the cathedral and take note off all the windows and the openings on the roof before focusing on the magic necklace’s power. I started on the windows to my left and right and let the magic close them off before going to the ones on the roof, the dim light from the sky changed to pink as it touched the floor. The cheering stopped and some of the soldiers looked at me with the obvious question written clearly on their faces. Once all of the nearest openings to the harp was unavailable, I addressed the room.

“Sorry. Something didn’t feel right.” And that answer didn’t fully satisfy everyone. But a glance at Zidane and Freya, who I’m getting the feeling is starting to put the pieces together, gave a bit of comfort by nodding.

“For fear of an attack reaching the inner sanctum, she decided to shield the jewel.” Freya spoke up in my defense. It did its job and helped the others not in the know relax.

“And she’s right to fear one.”

We all turn to the balcony at the voice not welcome to our group, standing there in his maroon jacket with his rifle in his hands. Seeing him alone there made me more cautious instead of confident despite the numbers we have on him here. HIs smile didn’t even move when he saw about five swords, a spear, and a pair of daggers being drawn.

“I wouldn’t act so hasty now if I were you.” Ellison snapped his fingers and two black mages dropped behind him. I heard the Cleyran oracles and maides gasp when they straightened. Being held by one of them was the prince of Burmecia, Puck. He struggled in their grasp and was shouting whatever threat a kid his age thought would be intimidating.

“Prince Puck!” Freya would have jumped into action and fought them in an instant, but the sound of a gun going off stopped her.

Ellison had another gun with him, one he could use for closer targets. It was smaller and was now pointing upwards, posing no danger to anyone at the moment aside from the implied momentary threat. But the smoking barrel found its way to the side of Puck’s head, causing the boy to squirm away from it but had no way to go. Hearing his pained groan upon contact made Freya hesitate.

“I’m not one for publicly executing a child, but make one wrong move I’ll gladly indulge everyone here what a revolver can do to a kid’s head at point blank.” Ellison looked around and saw a few of our men lower their swords. But Zidane, Freya, Quina, and Vivi still stood firm and ready to fight. I even moved to stand in front of the harp. Seeing no surrender from us, he shrugged his shoulders and spoke again. “Or maybe you guys want a sample. I can do that.”

He then pulled his gun away from Puck and pointed it to the other black mage beside him. One bang later, blood popped out the mage’s face where his eye would be and fell backwards wordlessly. I could’ve sworn everyone flinched at the sound of the gun going off, but was more horrified of the intentional friendly fire. And he did that without any hesitation. I had to close my eyes just so I didn’t have to see what happened.

That definitely got our team’s attention. Freya lowered her spear, visibly upset that she’s surrendering to a murderer even from where I was standing, and the others followed suit. Even if I didn’t have any weapons pointed at him, I was trying my hardest to maintain the barrier around the windows on my side of the cathedral. When Ellison looked at me, he smiled and sauntered forward, his black mage lackey right behind him with his hostage.

“We’ve taken most of your town here and all of you are trapped here at the very top of the tree. Not even your flimsy barricades and barrel traps couldn’t stop us.” Ellison declared. “We’ve already killed a lot of your people, but it doesn’t have to end in a total massacre. Do what I say and we’ll gladly leave your town and give you guys some peace before the sun rises.”

“And what makes you think we’ll believe you?” Zidane argued.

As if trying to drive his point home, he pulled the hammer of his gun and directed dangerous end of the revolver at Puck’s face. “You don’t have to. I’m the one with the hostage.”

“Wh-What do you want?” The High Priest asked, definitely wanting Puck’s safety to be ensured and to end this madness.

“Open the door and let your ‘guest’ in.” Ellison looked past the scared civilians watching what was going on in the inner sanctum and nodded over to the locked front door of the cathedral. The High Priest scurried to the door and did what was asked of him. He was greeted with the sight of General Beatrix, an annoyed glare settled on her face, flanked by a trio of black mages. Either she didn’t enjoy her subordinates’ company or she didn’t like her entrance being so anticlimactic.

“Truly this is a waste of my talents.” The general said as she entered, dismissing the Burmecians who stared angrily at her and the Cleyrans shaking in fear of her presence.

“Obviously the higher ups didn’t want to tire you out.” Ellison chuckled. That got a direct glare from Beatrix. He merely nodded over to my direction as a response. “There’s your prize.”

She walked over to me with her entourage of black mages, only stopping when I blocked her path. Nothing was stopping her from walking around me, but she chose to look down at me. “The girl who could conjure up magic barriers. I could have sworn I’ve already dealt with you and your band of pathetic friends.”

I took a short step just so I could stare back at her as hard as I can. Then I answered back with, “We’re not that easy to kill. Maybe if you did your job right your army might’ve had an easier time tonight.”

Her expression twisted into a scowl and her hand went to her sword and she would have easily skewered me, but I stepped back and refocused all of the magic into a barrier between us. One hit from her sword and my knees felt weak from how strong it was. Damn it, why is she so strong? It’s so unfair that she’s our enemy and she can easily curbstomp us.

“Hey! Can we just get what we came for and be done with this place?” And she would have easily broken through if it wasn’t for the annoyed shout from Ellison that distracted her. Beatrix briefly looked over her shoulder and I considered that my moment to step away before I really get on Beatrix’s nerves. When she focused on the harp, she swung her sword and cut the jewel attached to the instrument. She grabbed it off the air and examined her prize for a full second.

“Now that I have this jewel, I am done with this city.” She declared.

“You will not get away with this.” Freya is definitely the calmest of us right now. She sounded like the part, only that she’s holding it if the white-knuckled fists on her side indicated anything. Beatrix ignored her words and kept walking.

Alexandria’s best warrior casually strolled out of the room with her black mage back-up right behind her. Just outside stood a handful of soldiers to greet their general. They probably got here because of the airship flying close to the tree. It didn’t give me a clue if that ship had any weapons or is just a transport ship for their army. Ellison and his hostage-holder followed suit, with the former keeping his revolver pointed at the terrified kid’s skull and making a show of it, further angering everyone willing to fight for his safety. That cockiness of his is gonna bite him in the ass soon enough. Makes me wish it’d be me that’ll do that, but I know Freya wants the first punch if we get our hands on him.

We all knew that doing something now would endanger the prince, yet that didn’t mean we had to allow them to get away. So we followed them slowly while Beatrix gave us dirty looks over her shoulder and Ellison had too much fun threatening Puck, walking slowly to show that we can still fight them and it’ll take a single moment, a single opening that we can use to get the prince back and send them scurrying. Too bad I didn’t have anything planned at this point.

In what I thought was a sign that the world wanting us to succeed, one of the black mages just beside Beatrix was on the receiving end of a spear through the chest. The general drew her sword and swung at the figure at landed on the now dead mage, only for him to dodge, pull out his spear from the body, and swipe at everything around him with a single spin of his weapon. Most of the black mages didn’t react and was cut down by it, especially the one holding Puck captive. Ellison would have shot Puck for trying to escape, only to be stopped when his savior jabbed him in the chest with the blunt end of his spear, giving Puck enough time to retreat into the cathedral.

The man straightened and Freya brightened. Puck’s timely rescue was done by none other than Sir Fratley. He came back for the prince.

“Minions of evil, you have gone too far!” He declared, pointing his spear at the two leaders of the assault and the swordswomen behind them. “You will all fall before the sun stands tall over us all today!”

With a single joined shout, we all charged out of Cleyra’s holy place and clashed swords with the female soldiers of Alexandria, lead by the legendary dragon knight himself. He clashed weapons with Beatrix herself while most of us had her soldiers to contend with. If that wasn’t enough, those colorful bubbles started coming down again with black mages, further adding to the numbers of the invaders. That didn’t stop us from wanting to fight them.

I blocked a sword with my own blade and kicked back at one of the attackers and sent the one behind her stumbling. Cutting and slashing at the soldiers coming at me made me wince. I’ll never get used to cutting away at a person with an actual sword, but I have to fight to keep Cleyra safe. Killing is not the best way of doing it, but it has to be done. After dodging and putting a huge wound on one of the soldier’s back, I found myself stopping two knives flying at me from digging into my body with a barrier. The small blades hit the pink surface and sent a stinging headache into my skull. I need to stop using that for a while. Just a few feet ahead of me enjoying my pain is Ellison playing with a knife as he smirked at me, his handgun seemingly absent now.

“Ready for round two of our little Q&A?” There was no way in hell I would be demanding answers in a place like this. But apparently he didn’t care what my answer was as he threw another pair of daggers as me before lunging forward. I would have struggled to play defense with his approach, only for someone to drop in front of me and lend a helping hand.

It was Zidane! He swatted the knives out of the air with his thief sword and stopped the mystery man in maroon from his attack.

“Need a moderator?” Zidane briefly winked at me before continuing his attack. I followed right behind him, quickly making Ellison back up from our combined offense.

There’s gonna be a time that I have to finish a fight with Ellison with just myself to depend on. I still remember it vividly how he completely overwhelmed me the last time I fought him. He would’ve finished me off if it wasn’t for my luck that someone helped me out. Now I don’t have to worry about it with Zidane by my side. It wasn’t a fair fight now, yet a one on one fight with him against me isn’t a fair one too. Not that he cares about fair when I have a sword and he has two guns and a barrage of knives.

Zidane became his primary target for interrupting us. His usage of two knives didn’t give him an advantage against the thief since he separated his weapon into two bigger daggers, making them more of a match for him. Both men charged and sliced at each other and could not land a solid hit or cut at the other. I was left trying to put down any black mages trying to target Zidane. I’d only stabbed two black mages when I noticed Zidane get close to Ellison and headbutt the guy. That got him reeling for a bit and it was enough for Zidane to capitalize, grabbing hold of the gunman’s hand with his tail and spun him around for his boot to meet his face.

Ellison scowled at his opponent, mumbling something under his breath as he nursed where he was hit. Out of spite, he threw a knife at a Burmecian, stunning him enough for a black mage to fry him. Now he’s really gonna get it. I went past Zidane, hearing his voice trying to stop for a moment, but it didn’t stop me for trying to get at Ellison for killing someone out of frustration. I should have noticed that vile smile growing on his face as I tried to attack him with a number of slashes. Zidane assisted in my charge when he tried to jump and flank him, but he used both of his knives to block my sword and pushed me back, giving him enough space to evade Zidane and stab one of his knives on his leg.

“Zidane!” I didn’t have time to get to him when our enemy made a beeline for me, probably thinking of getting rid of me first before finishing the guy who gave him a hard time.

I so wanted to push him back with my barrier, but there’s still the lingering headache from using it too much that I just raised my sword to stop his knives from coming at me again. Zidane cut in once again while favoring his leg, giving me some space to breathe and preventing Ellison from getting any closer. He did try again, slipping past the blond right under a horizontal cut and elbow him in the face so he can take another stab at me.

I tried to meet him with a lunging stab just when he is about to get close. He moved to the side, my sword missing barely by inches, and then he spun around with his knife reaching out to me. I didn’t have enough time to move out of the way, but I tried to lean away as far as I can, only for the knife’s edge to cut at my cheek instead of digging itself into my skull. The wound stung and Ellison didn’t bother savoring the hit as he went for another. I had no choice but to use a barrier to stop his attack, his knife bouncing off the magic wall and sent him staggering.

Now he looked worried with this 2-on-1 fight. He’s constantly backpedaling, trying to get a hit it either with a wild swing or a throw of a knife. Zidane took care of the flying weaponry and made it easy for me to strike while he’d add quick cutting swipes. Despite the thief’s affected quickness, having another person to rely on gave us the upper hand and Ellison’s frustration at this scenario showed. My eyes went wide when his hand went to his jacket and such an action only meant one thing in my mind.

I pushed past Zidane and tackled him down to the ground to prevent him from using his gun. He probably had no qualms about more friendly fire to get to us or he just wanted to shoot people. I’ve had enough of guns for today and the moment I get both of his I’ll throw them off the tree. But getting his revolver and rifle proved a bit of a challenge. He planted both feet down and stopped my attempt at a takedown as he battered my neck and back with elbows to force me to let go.

Thankfully it stopped before he could use his knives when he stumbled back with a hand on his chest and Zidane running at him. Ellison tried to throw another knife at such a close range. It proved to be the wrong move for him as Zidane got close and stabbed him in the shoulder. Shouting in pain, Ellison kicked at Zidane’s leg and hit the injured one, making him hobble backwards in pain. He took advantage of it as he grabbed him put his arm around his neck, stabbed him in the gut with his other knife, and threw him down to the ground before I could react.

I was unable to check if he was okay when Ellison got hit by an ice spell. I see Vivi being covered by Quina waving over to us. A quick scan of our small battlefield helped me place where the others were as well as the state of our side against the enemy army. Freya was assisting Sir Fratley against Beatrix and both sides looked equally matched. Thanks to Vivi and Quina’s help, the Burmecians are able to stand firm against the Alexandrians.

Nodding my thanks for the big assist, I went in for another tackle on Ellison before he could think of using his gun again. This time it is successful, his back hit the ground with me keeping him down with punches to the same spot Zidane’s boot hit earlier.

I went for the revolver first, but that proved easier said than done despite the cold shoulder he was sporting. His struggling got easier to maintain after I planted my knee between his legs. When I pulled out the gun from his jacket, I wasn’t able to throw it when something bright caught the edge of my eye and before I knew it I was hit with something hard enough to send me flying off of Ellison.

My arm felt numb, no, my left side felt numb the moment I tried to move after a few seconds. Trying to get up to my knees proved I could still move, but it hurt a whole damn lot. I’m sure I was bleeding somewhere too. I could see Ellison trying to get up too, but past him I see the person responsible running over.

General Beatrix had her own sword ready to strike at me. She must’ve used one of her powerful moves on me while she had a chance to help her comrade. Honestly wasn’t expecting her to assist him when they looked like they weren’t on the same page earlier. Doesn’t matter now with her about to cut me with her blade. And it looked like it was charged with thunder magic. I’m not even sure my barrier can take that hit without splitting my own head open from the headache it’ll cause.

“Stand back!” Beatrix’s blade met someone elses and it sounded like the clouds let loose with a mighty thunder that echoed through the mountains. Sir Fratley intercepted Beatrix’s attack for me. “We shall not have any more casualties today!” Obviously I’m honored and I’d be saying so many thank you’s if I had the energy. Freya noticed my lack of movement and helped me out of there before the two dueling individuals could break off from their stalemate.

We landed beside Vivi and Quina, who were trying to support Zidane. He had just finished drinking a hi-potion when Freya checked with him. The stab wound was starting to close, yet he still looked pale from losing blood, which covered most of the lower part of his undershirt and part of his vest. He still offered a smile and a thumbs up though.

“Running out of cool drinks.” Quina pointed out as she ran her hands through her apron pockets. Yeah, we definitely need to avoid using them too much. There’s still a castle we have to fight through and a giant underground worm to battle while escaping said castle. We wouldn’t have any access to any white magic until we get manage to get away from the castle.

“Then let’s end this.” Zidane aimed his sights on the general battling the legendary dragon knight. He’s right. They pull out of Cleyra once Beatrix gets away with the jewel and she only does that when she gives us a thorough smashing. Zidane and the other didn’t need to know this, but we have to do it. Not really looking forward to it.

As I was pulling out my own hi-potion, another serious thought came into mind. There’s the jewel I’ve been trying to avoid getting taken away. I can’t let all we’ve done here go to waste. There has to be a way to get it without affecting Beatrix’s plans. But how…?

Freya was the first to join Fratley’s side, stopping Beatrix’s stabbing attempt by throwing her spear from the air, catching her off balance. Fratley followed up with long swings of his spear, spinning around and extending his reach to land hits on the Alexandrians trying to assist their general while barely missing his actual target. She met the two Burmecians’ spears with her own mighty blade with one swing, thunder echoing around us once again. Beatrix pushed at the two and created a little space for herself to take advantage of. Freya attacked, Beatrix blocked and maneuvered her sword to move closer and got a cut on her side.

Hearing her yelp, the rest of of us jumped into action with Vivi blasting at the general with his own thunder magic. Beatrix dodged them easily enough, even blocking one with her sword. She brought it back to him with a thrust as her sword started to glow, a single blinding ray of light that hit Vivi even faster than lightning. That must’ve been Shock, one of her stronger moves, and it’s probably the same one that hit me earlier. It knocked out Vivi the instant it hit.

Zidane ran into the fray, combining his daggers into his lengthy thief blades, The Ogre, and with him adding to Freya and Fratley’s assault, they started to get Beatrix backpedaling. Her forces saw this and was about to help, but Quina cut them off and easily bulldozed through a good number of them. This made them easy pickings for our guys. With everything going on as it is, it’s gonna be hard to focus on a single target.

“Vivi, you okay?” I tried to move Vivi to a sitting position. He’s still conscious, but the glow in his eyes was dimmer than before and they were wincing. After managing a nod, I helped him up to his feet slowly and handed him one of my potions. “Just wait here for a minute. Keep an eye out on Beatrix. I’m gonna try do something to get her to finally back off. If you see an opening, hit her.”

He nodded again and left, hopefully to help end this fight once and for all. I take in a few breaths as I ready my sword again, dodging Alexandrians and black mages and leaving them to the Burmecians so I could focus on disrupting Beatrix’s defense. As Zidane, Freya, and Fratley have her on the ropes and her back against me, I enter by putting a barrier between them. All of them got confused when their attacks didn’t meet their targets, but it sure gave me time to get behind Beatrix and ram into her despite how hard the throbbing in my head hurt.

The fearsome general hit the barrier with a grunt and I kept her pinned for a few precious seconds while Freya jumped into the air. Before she could try to pry me off, I made the barrier disappear and both of us fell forward. I scurried back with sword in hand, a bit of a smile on my face that it had caught her off-guard enough to sweep her off her feet.

Freya’s spear nearly dug into her side if she didn’t roll out of the way. However, it did give Fratley an opening by coming in with his own spear, only to reach out and grab Freya’s and attack with both of them. If he was dangerous with one spear, seeing him use two would be terrifying, especially if you’re on the receiving end. Beatrix could barely block and deflect the attacks as they came. Zidane made it worse when he tried to get behind her to sandwich her with their attacks. Their double team effort dealt a good amount of damage to her.

Our advantage caused some of our guys to rally behind the legendary warrior, raising their spirits to the point that the invading army started to struggle. It was demoralizing seeing the best of their army get wounded this much.

It didn’t last long. A vicious crack in the air made sure of that.

“Sir Fratley!”

All it took was one bullet to stop Fratley’s barrage. Both sides stopped moving at that moment, one side in shock, the other curious what had done the damage. Away from the skirmish where we had forgotten him, the barrel of his rifle emitting smoke as the man aiming behind the sights had a serious expression on his face, a great contrast to how he was while fighting in close quarters.

Sir Fratley stumbled backwards, clutching his chest, wide-eyed, before falling to his knees. Freya was there to catch him before he could hit the floor.

“Sir Fratley!” Our friend held onto the amnesiac warrior with her voice shaking. “Sir Fratley, please say something! I’ve waited long enough to see your return and now that that day has come I will not let it be tarnished like this!” She tried examining the wound, but was stopped by the man in dark yellow, his hand holding her arm.

“Do not...stop protecting this land because...of me, even though...I...do not remember you.” I could barely hear his voice despite the silence in the small battlefield. His fellow Burmecians started to form around him.

This was not supposed to happen...

My feet carried me forward, past the Burmecians and to Freya’s side. I could see the blood on his chest. It was darker near where his heart should be. It’s a miracle he’s still alive. I let my hand fall on Freya’s shoulder and I felt it move. A sob entered my ears as I felt the woman’s shoulder shake once.

“Freya....” There was nothing I could say that will make things better. I did this. All the change I’ve brought was bound to have consequences. I just didn’t expect them to hit us this soon.

“Today will not be the day you fall,” Freya’s voice tried to keep itself together. Just barely.

Fratley’s hand move from her arm to her hand, holding it tight as he looked up at him. I could see his eyes, that gentle look in them with glints of brave determination. “Trust your strength. Have faith in your destiny.”

The dragon knight in red only lowered her head in the crook of Fratley’s neck and shoulder, holding him closer to her as more sobs came out of her. It felt inappropriate to be so close and feeling like a spectator to this. I wanted to step away and find a way to fix all of this, but the damage had been done. No one here knew how to treat a gunshot wound and with it so close to his heart, it might as well be a done deal, as horrible it is to say that.

“We’re done here.” Beatrix’s voice was distant after being surrounded by this much grief. Her troops started to move after her command had to be repeated. I could see Ellison looking at us as if he had won the battle for them, proud and smug.

Freya finally moved, speaking in a low voice to the soldiers around her. It probably took a lot of effort to remove herself from Fratley. Her hand held his a bit more before finally letting go and his warmth was replaced by the cold steel of her lover’s spear.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING!?” Her voice carried this intense tone that I’ve never heard before since I met her that it caused almost everyone from the opposing army to stop in their tracks. Ellison is part of that group as he turned to look. That was when I noticed how the air around Freya started to shift.

Her attire and armor started to change as light started to engulf her form. She emerged from it with this violet energy pulsing around her body while the usual red outfit of hers changed to one that shined and clanked with every movement. Her face was no longer curtained by her white hair, but was covered by a violet helmet instead. It didn’t take a genius to know that she was staring at hole straight through Ellison’s soul through the small eye holes her new helmet had.

Freya Tranced. The last time we saw someone Tranced seemed forever ago. The grief and anger Freya felt was enough to push her through the threshold for that power to answer her call.

“You will pay for what you have done!” Her cry made a shiver go up my spine. Anyone near the man stepped away as much as they could, except for the black mages. They seemed to not know that they were in the way. Ellison himself took a step back, his proud mug no longer looking so victorious.

In a split second, Freya cleared the distance between her and Ellison. She would have impaled him if he didn’t shove a black mage between them. He tried kicking at the dead black mage to make sure her weapon won’t go anywhere, but that didn’t stop her from swinging her spear and launching the dead doll into its brethren. She lunged again and he tried to aim his rifle, however she was faster and flicked the gun up, causing him to miss. The blunt end of her spear met his chest and he was launched spinning into the air with a single swipe of her weapon.

She was unable to finish him when Beatrix stopped her finishing blow. Her focus shifted to the mighty general as they traded blows, all the while leaving Ellison an opening to escape. He grabbed a black mage and shouted at him to go. Zidane ran towards him just as both of them became a ball of translucent light that started to fly up in the air.

This gave our troops a sign to drive back the invaders again. Those who could still fight charged and chased the attackers, striking a few black mages and Alexandrians down. Most of Beatrix’s troops were starting to flee, but the leader herself occupied Freya’s attention while this was happening, possibly to give them enough time to get out while they still can.

Beatrix tried to keep her distance away from the angry dragon knight and attacked with Shock multiple times. Freya’s enhanced agility made that difficult for her as she leapt and spun in the air, evading her magic with ease as she threw her spear down at her. One spear suddenly became a hail of deadly metal when it flew from her grasp with a violet tinge. Beatrix was forced to book it just to prevent herself from getting any more wounds.

Her sword crackled with thunder as Freya landed and retrieved Fratley’s spear from the ground. She blocked Freya’s series of attacks before managing to slip to an opening on her side, bringing her sword across in a wide arc. Freya cried in pain as the electrified blade hit her, but it was only brief as she went back on the attack, surprising the general with a heavy slash that disarmed her. Beatrix barely had an opportunity to retrieve her weapon when Freya assaulted her with lightning fast strikes. The last one sent her flying a few feet where she landed right by her signature sword.

“The power of Trance. I never expected I would see it today.” Beatrix replaced her sword on her hip as she didn’t let her glare on the Tranced Freya. “We have the jewel anyway! Commence withdrawal!”

One of the black mages approached her and held her shoulder. A second later, both of them became translucent balls and flew into the sky. Freya just made the terrifying swordswoman of Alexandria retreat. Because of that, Cleyra lives to fight another day! I would be celebrating now, unfortunately we don’t have time to do that just yet.

“Don’t let the black mages get away!” I shouted to everyone, pointing to the ones starting to turn into balls of light. We might need a few moments before we can go to the Red Rose, Queen Brahne’s ship that’s probably somewhere around here, the queen waiting for her best soldier to bring back the jewel she requested.

All of the Alexandrian soldiers have managed to get away on the airship hovering close by after Beatrix’s efforts to stall. Some of their black mages got unlucky. One of them was caught by the Burmecians, Quina had taken down one and sat on him to prevent a struggle, Vivi had frozen one by the legs, and Zidane tackled another to the ground. The others were able to escape in their light ball modes, leaving the sandy tree in an uncertain quiet mess. But despite that, our guys started cheering now that the fighting has stopped. That made the King of Burmecia and The Cleyran High Priest emerge from the cathedral, the former proud of the work his men had been capable of today and the latter relieved that they were now safe.

I could see Freya looking above into the sky, probably trying to discern which one of the light balls has Beatrix or Ellison in them. Her Trance started to dissipate, the violet armor fading in favor of her usual red clothes as her gaze moved towards Fratley, who was being held in a sitting position by one of the Burmecians. Once she was right beside him again, she took his hand and he squeezed it, showing he was still fighting. Freya placed his spear beside him.

“My destiny is to protect my home...with you.” She said, her voice now clear and firm. Fratley could only hum in return. That was enough to bring a smile back on her face. The sight of the two so close was a nice scene that was made perfect by the rising sun in the horizon. Cleyra has definitely survived through this ordeal proudly.

“Sorry to break this up,” I approached the two in the hopes it was the best time to do so. “But we still have a job to do.”

“We’re going to follow them, right?” Zidane asked loudly as he kept the black mage he captured in a headlock. My affirming nod made him chuckle. “What are we waiting for then?”

“What about Cleyra? Will we be safe knowing that they can attack us again?” The High Priest asked worriedly.

“Well, they came here for one thing.” I could only smile as I put my hand in my pocket. I then pulled out a certain red luminous jewel. “It’d be a shame if they left without it.”

“Th-The jewel!” The King of Burmecia walked over to check if it was the real deal. Upon confirming that it was, I handed it over to him for safekeeping. “But how did you take it away from Beatrix?”

“It was a little rough, but let’s say it involved a little physical contact and sleight of hand. She’s going to think she still has it.” I let my hand hover to my neck, the absence of the necklace around it was just starting to sink in. Let’s just hope she doesn’t dispose of it when she finds out.

“Cleyra has been saved!” A wounded soldier from the cathedral exclaimed. More cheers came from the other survivors and the soldiers outside.

It’s great to hear them be so happy after what seemed like hell for them since this invasion started. They can finally feel safe despite the fact that their sandstorm might never come back. And I finally managed to make this a success. Cleyra lives to see another day when originally it’s barely a tree. Even I can be assured that any change I can make is worth it.

There’s still one more thing we need to do to ensure this Cleyra stays like this while Brahne is still out there trying to amass her army. I look up to the brightening sky with hope. Our day is not be over yet because there’s still more to come. There’s still Brahne’s summoning that we have to stop.


	36. Break In, Break Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prison Break Season 2

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 35: Break In, Break Out

\- Alyssa -

With most of the hard part done, we now have to put our stealth shoes on and try to board the Red Rose, the personal airship of Queen Brahne. The only way to get there was either to be able to fly or if it the pilot was nice enough to hover low and allow us passage. Since none of those options doesn’t have a chance of happening unless we were in chains, we chose to board it via black mage magic bubbles.

Freya made sure Sir Fratley wasn’t in any more pain aside from the wound he received from Ellison’s rifle before doing anything else. He must be one hell of a survivor if he’s still kicking after a shot like that at mid-range. We checked him earlier and it worried me that the bullet is still in him. He’s not getting any better unless someone with surgical tools wanders into the tree and finds himself here unscathed. That’ll be a miracle when it happens.

Her love for that very man, whom she thought she had lost after years of silence between them, was what gave us the edge to repel General Beatrix’s forces. Now it’s only a matter of time before she speaks with Queen Brahne and tries to blow up Cleyra. We’re going to need to be there for a couple of reasons. First, to know that Dagger is going to get executed. Second, to distract Brahne long enough to prevent her from summoning Odin or take away her summoning stone. Third, get back my necklace.

If Beatrix is capable of magic, I am not leaving my necklace with her. That’ll be basically giving her another way to totally dominate us.

In preparation for that, I told Zidane and the others to get some stink pellets from the barrels we weren’t able to blow up. We should be able to carry a bunch of pellets safely with us. It’d be a way for us to get in there and snatch the jewel and my necklace.

“Here.” Freya gave me my share of the pellets last after distributing the rest to Zidane, Vivi, and Quina.

As I was placing them carefully in my satchel (no use having them if they suddenly go off while in transit), Freya stopped beside me with this curious gaze aimed at me. I would have been terrified of her if I was just a random bystander, especially after seeing her match up with Beatrix just a few minutes ago. But we’ve been fighting together for a few days now. We’re friends, probably not as close as Zidane, but we’re still looking after each other through this whole ‘war’.

“I have come for my answer.” She stated, waiting.

And there’s also the part about how sharp she is that I forgot. Not that I was expecting her to forget what we briefly talked about earlier. I did promise to tell her what I know.

I took a breath and nodded, stepping away from the others for a while with Freya right by my side. Once we were at a good distance, one that I made sure by taking a glance at the others, I started to talk in a low voice.

“You noticed my reactions whenever that gun would go off.” I began. One of her eyebrows rose at the mention of the weapon, but nodded silently, urging me to continue. “Our encounter with him in Burmecia isn’t exactly the first time we met.”

“So you two have a past?” Freya asked.

I shook my head. “Not really…? Not in the usual way you think. I crossed paths with him in Dali while our group was helping Dagger get to Lindblum. I thought he was only a weirdo in that village, but that changed when I saw him again in the Festival of the Hunt.” There’s a good chance she didn’t hear his gun go off during that time. Lindblum got pretty hectic and loud during that day so it might’ve gotten masked by the noise of the audience and monsters in the city. “That’s the only time I realized he was carrying that weapon.”

“It’s not the man that terrifies you, but the weapon itself.” Her hand goes to her chin as her gaze goes elsewhere for a few moments. “Then that begs the question, why would you be acquainted with a weapon no one else has used before?”

That’s right. Gaia may be a steampunk heaven that also happens to run on fantasy, but they’ve been stuck using medieval weaponry all this time with a lot magic on the side.

“It was a long time ago, when I was little. Guns are the reason I started living with my grandmother.”

I still have nightmares about it sometimes. The smell of gunfire and the sound of a bullet whizzing by my head always comes back whenever I have them. Just because the years pass by and the farther away I am from it doesn’t mean I can easily forget it. It just gets easier to act normally again with each passing day. Sure therapy and meds help in a way, but the memory never goes away.

“I apologize…” Freya was looking away when I snapped out of my daze. She really didn’t need to.

“It’s fine… Don’t worry about it.” I’ve never understood why anyone who accidentally brings up those bad memories apologizes to me. I don’t apologize to myself for them, why should they?

“But I do worry about this man, who stands against us with this powerful weapon.” Anyone with a gun in a world without guns might as well be the deadliest man in the world. Well aside from the guy who could destroy a world with the power of Trance and the few girls who could summon eidolons.

“Maybe I’ll feel a lot better if we can take away his guns.” I mutter. It’ll definitely make it easier for me knowing that I won’t be fighting him without him pulling out a revolver to execute me.

“Then allow me to help you when we encounter this man again.” I turned to the dragon knight, probably looking a bit confused at her, after she said this. “You and the others have provided so much aid for my people. It would only be fair that I help in return.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her offer. Knowing she has my back brought my spirits back up, and after what had just happened here I definitely needed it. Not to say that no one has my back, but hearing it just makes me glad. With the both of us agreed to look after each other, we rejoined the others. Apparently they were discussing something.

“I no going.” I heard Quina say.

“Why?” Vivi is the first to ask. He’s still hurting after getting blasted by Beatrix’s Shock, but he’s still going strong and he’s determined to not let it stop him.

“I no like heights.”

Zidane’s shoulders slumped when he heard that. “We’re in a giant tree and you’re telling us that now?”

“Tree stable under feet. Magic air bubbles no good.” She made her hand illustrate herself floating in the air like a bubble, ending it with a pop and her hand falling to her side. That made shake her head.

Zidane shrugged conclusively. “Well we can’t really force you to go if you don’t like it.” It’s totally understandable. Besides, I already knew this was coming. It’s fine though! She’ll be alright and we’ll be reunited with her in the marsh outside of Lindblum.

Let’s just hope nothing changes that.

“Alright gang! We should hurry and see where these mages are heading.” I told them before nodding to the few Burmecians detaining the black mages.

They released them and let them stumble away from their captors. We kept our distance, but kept a close eye on them with our hands on our weapons, ready to attack in case they think they can blindside us. After they shared silent glances at each other, they looked up and their strange method of transportation started to appear.

“Now!” I signal the others. There was no way those guys will realistically just allow us to go with them. They would probably rather blast us with their magic until we kill them than willingly help us. Good thing none of us got hurt keeping them here just so we can do this.

We all dashed towards the dissipating black mages just as they are about to go into their bubble. I managed to grab at one of their sleeves once I got close enough. Seeing the mage’s form turn translucent under my grasp would have been an incredible magic trick on a normal day, it’s still a bit wonderful despite my normal not being applicable anymore. Then that wonderful feeling started to make me dizzy. My arm started to get the same treatment and it spread to my entire body as fast as it did on the black mage. Eventually I could no longer feel the ground under me, my entire body felt so light I could barely feel it.

I could see the others’ bubbles around me flying in circles into the sky. We were going away from the settlement of Cleyra and towards the mountains surrounding it. It only took a second for me to see the Red Rose come into view. There’s a brief glance I manage to get of Queen Brahne sitting on the ship’s viewing balcony. And what was interesting to see is that she seemed to be shouting at her soldiers.

Our magic bubbles then went to an open side of the ship where these vase-like things were placed and our ride is supposed to end up in there. Once we made it in the vase, I started to feel the space around me, a bit too compressed if you asked me compared to the openness of being formless in the sky just a while ago. I climbed out of the cramped vase the moment every part of me returned to normal. I had to take a few seconds to get reoriented with being solid again. Not the best ride I’ve gotten, but it’s something that’ll need improving for later use. Maybe there’s a way for me to get Regent Cid to recreate this so we can travel via magic bubbles in the future…

Anyway, Vivi is the next to climb out of the “vase station” with Zidane and Freya exit with their best rendition of the jack-in-a-box toy, jumping out with ease before joining us. They ogled the view of the mountains between Burmecia and Cleyra beneath the airship, a big population separated by cultures and beliefs about war, which both cities happened to be embroiled in together against a common foe that ambushed them.

”What do we do now?” Vivi wondered as he looked up to me.

“Get my necklace back.” I answered, my hand unconsciously hovering to a spot by my neck. I didn’t know that a single accessory would be so important to me after these past few days, especially when I’m just a newbie with magic.

“And they might be planning something else for whatever they’re doing.” Zidane added. “Whatever it is, they don’t know we’re here to listen to it. Then we can use it to counter them.”

Exactly. To be fair, they needed to hear Queen Brahne’s next move from the woman herself instead of me. It carries more legitimacy and would bring less questions than me just nudging them to the right direction.

“Let’s be careful. We’re on a ship crawling with soldiers. Picking a fight here would be the last thing we want to do.” Freya advised, to which we all nodded and headed towards the stairs to our left. Our pace only picked up when we heard a voice somewhere above.

We all scrambled for cover behind the staircase and stayed low just in case, keeping quiet as we heard a lot of footsteps start walking down the stairs. Movement above us stops when we hear a door open, someone probably important probably just stepped out. There’s only two people that can stop the army in their tracks with just their presence. The queen and…

“General Beatrix!” A girl exclaimed. “Welcome back, ma’am!”

“At ease.” The tone of her voice was almost annoyed at the least and dismissive at the most. “How is the queen?”

“Not in the best of moods, ma’am. She is...uh... demanding you to join her and our comrade in arms.” The soldier informed her.

“That man is anything but our comrade. He is a nuisance!” Good to hear that even the bad guys are not working well together. We heard the general clear her throat before she continued. “It doesn’t matter. Tell Her Majesty that I will be reporting shortly.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

And with that they started to move again down the stairs. They were just a group of black mages led by a single soldier and she was directing them towards the vase-like things they call ‘telepods’. The soldier didn’t follow them though as she stayed by the nearest door to the stairs. We could see her point and address the black mages that they have to go to Alexandria via for some reason they probably talked about earlier. When their bubbles started to fly away, the soldier entered the door beside her, leaving us and General Beatrix out here with the latter not knowing about us.

“This is ridiculous.” We heard her speak to no one in particular. “My troops alone would’ve been enough to take Cleyra. And because of her insistence to use black mages and to rely on that man, our victory was not absolute. I didn’t train all these years to take a backseat to anyone...”

I tried to take a peek of the second level and I could briefly see Beatrix turn away and walk towards the front of the ship. When it was quiet for a good full second, we all stood up from our cover with our attention now towards Beatrix is headed.

“Did you hear that? Looks like Brahne’s onboard this ship.” Zidane figured out.

“And she doesn’t sound happy.” Vivi added. And who would be after what had just happened? She got beat by a Tranced Freya and she’s going to realize in a few minutes that she doesn’t have the summoning jewel. That last part is definitely going to piss her off even more!

So we all followed Beatrix to the second floor of the ship until we were stopped by a door. It leads to the balcony view of the Red Rose, where the queen is probably surrounded by a handful of soldiers and black mages along with an effective gunman and their best swordswoman, whom are probably not in a good mood. Zidane gently opened the door and checked to see if anyone was guarding it on the other side. Luckily for us, no one doing guard duty by the door.

As we entered through the door, my ears started to pick up a voice that went on and on about tactics and armies. It was loud and almost obnoxious, and it got worse the closer we got. My ears felt like they were getting personally attacked when we found a good place right behind what was Her Majesty’s royal seat. A peek at the balcony gave me the sight of the soldiers (along with their general) with their heads bent down, the black mages staring blankly, and Ellison leaning against the railing and looking away at the ranting queen.

“...Just when I thought we already had the upper hand after crippling them in Burmecia and attacking before the day even got started, we still get stalled by a bunch of rats stuck in a tree! They were able to stave off our attack! How could they have prepared against us!? We had them right where we wanted them, yet they managed to fight back!”

“Killing all of them isn’t on the major agenda list, right?” A laidback voice finally interrupted her. I could just picture Ellison brush off the queen as if she was just some random angry person on the street.

“You will hold your tongue and let Her Majesty speak without interruption!” Beatrix’s angry voice was followed by the sound of a sword being pulled out.

“Well then, permission to speak freely, Your Majesty?”

“Beatrix, stand down. Let the cretin talk.” Man, she’s letting everyone know that she’s not in the mood right now.

“I don’t see why you have to focus on wiping out those rats. You already beat their knees in and cut their legs from under them. Why not just move on with the next target?”

“And this is why I am queen and you are just a man on the frontlines! But I’ll forgive you just this once for speaking out.” Brahne berated him. There was a loud sigh that followed from the man and was followed by something mumbled under his breath. It went unnoticed as the queen went on. “If they aren’t wiped out now they will surely fight back later! You’ve seen what they are capable of while they are cornered. That is why it is best for us to remove them from the equation. Which is why I have drawn all of the eidolons from Garnet.”

“At least you got what you wanted.” Ellison remarked, deadpan.

“Eidolons?” I could hear Vivi repeat quietly. That got our crew’s attention since this is the first time they are hearing about Dagger’s hidden ability as a summoner.

“How is the princess doing? Drawing all of the eidolons must have been taxing for her.” Beatrix inquired. Oh no, this is where her world slowly starts to crumble. But it’s all out of order. The destruction of Cleyra had to happen first before she finds out about this. Is this happening because of what happened during the siege?

“It doesn’t matter. She’s no longer of use for us.” Brahne dismissed her question. That got Zidane to look around the corner. I also looked above him and saw the confusion on Beatrix’s face.

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

“Garnet has committed a crime. I shall have her executed for stealing the jewel left by the kingdom’s ancestors.” Confusion became horror at the mention of an execution. When she tried to understand what was happening with a mumble of ‘what?’, the queen shouted at her. “Don’t make me repeat myself! When we get back to Alexandria, I’ll have Garnet beheaded!”

Freya and I had to put our hands on Zidane’s shoulders just to stop him from running out there and picking a fight with the matriarch of Alexandria. It’d be useless and we’ll be trapped here if that happens, meaning we can’t stage a rescue. I know I’m striving for positive changes to this world, but fighting now would only cost us instead of improving our chances.

“Speaking of which, Cleyra’s jewel! Give it to me!” The queen had her hand open in front of her general. She was in a daze despite the Brahne’s screaming. Everyone was waiting for her to move and obey the command given to her. But she just stared at the blue hand in front of her.

Beatrix finally looked up, her face basically having the word ‘Why?’ written all over it as she spoke. “Your Majesty…”

“I’m waiting, Beatrix.” Her hand demandingly grabbed the air, her statement made the general snap out of it. She silently put her hand in her coat pocket to take out the jewel she had taken during the attack. But as expected, when she pulled out the contents she is surprised to see that it had changed to a necklace with a tiny glowing purple stone.

There were two different reactions to this. Beatrix’s confusion came back in full force while Brahne was too eager to get any jewel that she tried to grab it, only for Beatrix to pull away before it could transfer to her blue hands. Of course, such an action made her leader a bit miffed.

“Your Majesty, this is not the jewel.” She tried to inform her, yet it did not register when my necklace was forcibly taken from her.

“That’s definitely not the one we took from the harp,” Ellison tried to interject. “That one was bigger and red. This one is smaller and purple. Someone switched them!”

“What are you talking about? Isn’t this what I instructed you two to get?” She scowled at them, ignoring their valid points as she started to take something out from her royal pockets. “Now we can be rid of this world of those rats!”

“But Your Majesty! The jewel you want may still be in Cleyra!” Beatrix tried to argue, but her words were left ignored once again.

In her other hand held a grim-looking stone that made the entire balcony tense up at the mere sight of it. One look at Freya and we were all in agreement that it was time to intervene. A second later we were all going for our pellets so we could throw them for our distraction. We don’t really need to hit anyone with the pellets. All we need to do is just make sure that we hit areas of the balcony and to spread out the stench. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hit anyone.

“Hold your breath, everyone.” Zidane told us.

“And for what are you holding your breath for?” A person emerged from the balcony and pointed something at Zidane’s head. One look at them and I realized it as Ellison. The gun in his hand clicked, ready to be fired the instant we made any sudden movements. His eyes hover over to me, stopping me from going for my sword. Seeing him there ready to execute on of us had made me freeze up. “I did not expect you to be ballsy enough to infiltrate our ship that fast.”

“It’s easy when your troops let us on in the first place.” Freya answered back.

“Let’s remedy that, shall we?” He stepped back a bit and gestured to the balcony. Three soldiers joined him with their swords drawn and they pushed us out of our hiding spots towards Queen Brahne.

She had this satisfied expression on her face when she saw us being forced on our knees right in front of her, one of them hit me in the back with her sword hilt and the pain was enough to put me down where they wanted me. They took our weapons and threw them behind the the balcony near where Ellison found us. Thank goodness they didn’t throw them overboard. It wouldn’t be easy getting there since we’re surrounded in a small space like this, unless they all turned around to look at something else, which would require a miracle.

Freya took an opportunity she saw for a second. She would have socked Ellison in the mouth if he hadn’t moved. He knocked his revolver against her head after dodging, knocking her down to the floor. “I’d prefer it if I don’t have to splatter blood on the queen’s fancy balcony of her flying machine. But if you make one more move like that, I’d gladly do it.”

“I see we have a rat in our midst! Your little attempt for revenge won’t matter by the time I am done with it. Your people will be destroyed by the might of this eidolon.” Brahne showed her the stone she’ll be using to summon the creature she took from Dagger. “Once I’m finished with the tree, I’ll have you executed right here.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” I interrupted her before she could start laughing. That got her attention. “If you haven’t been listening, your general doesn’t have it. Your precious jewel could still be down there.” Actually, I still have it, but she doesn’t need to know that. I’m just repeating what Beatrix said.

Brahne finally let that sink in and demanded to see the necklace Beatrix showed her just a minute ago. It was satisfying to see her blue face turn red in anger and embarrassment as she inspected it. Beatrix won’t even look at her, either for not trusting her word about the jewel or for what she said about the princess.

“Ellison, execute this girl for talking back to me.” Brahne shouted, her voice getting so shrill I could feel my eardrums wanting to crack.

The man she ordered looked at me and then at the queen before shrugging. “I may have been ordered to follow your command, but HIS order to not kill her is absolute. I cannot do that as much as I want to.”

Alexandria’s leader looked like she was about to explode from what she had just heard. It’s a hilarious scene actually and I would be laughing if there weren’t any swords pointed at me and my friends. It’d be inappropriate, but a good hearty laugh would brighten up my day after a long a fight and it’d reinvigorate me for the upcoming prison break we’re about to do. Laughing, however, would only further piss off Brahne, and she’s already looking to remedy her own embarrassment by turning her attention to Beatrix.

“Beatrix. Execute. Them. NOW!” Her soldiers flinched at the order. They’re probably not used to this side of the queen if that’s their reaction. Ellison merely sighed and trained his gun on the others instead.

Nonetheless, Beatrix stepped forward, glancing at the large woman ordering her to do this as she drew her sword and laid it to my shoulder. I could feel its cold edge starting to bite into my skin, pressed any harder and it’d cut me and draw blood. Even when they had a brief disagreement, she knew her place in the hierarchy of the army and always followed commands given to her. One look at her sent a shiver down my spine as she coldly acknowledged my presence.

Then she raised her sword with both of her hands.

I closed my eyes. I didn’t think that my time in this world would be this short. Maybe this is what happens when I try to change the world, I get executed. This is the risk I knew that could happen to me and I took it despite that. Well there’s that and for being a smart ass. That’s what literally got me on my knees with a sword about to chop my head clean off my shoulders anyway. Though I wish a big fight brought us to this moment instead of being found out…

I thought death would be a whole lot painful when it comes to beheading via sword, but I didn’t expect the whole airship to rock back and forth. It rocked me hard enough to fall to the floor on my side.

“We’re being attacked!” A voice somewhere in the airship announced.

That made me open my eyes. Attacked? Here? In the sky? With what?

The Red Rose rocked and swayed once again, this time an explosion behind the ship caused it. Everyone around me were all over the place. Soldiers were either trying to help their queen maintain their balance or were hanging on to the balcony railing. The rest of my friends were already on the floor with uncertainty written all over their faces. Ellison and Beatrix were trying their best to stay standing, only for the Red Rose to suddenly start turning, which was enough to send them to their knees.

“Who in the world is attacking us!? Someone find out!” Brahne ordered the troops around her.

“Now!” Before they could take action and follow their orders, Zidane threw his pellets at the soldiers around the queen. Vivi and Freya did the same, this time hitting various spots of the balcony around Beatrix instead. I pulled out my own after recovering from the ship’s constant rocking and threw them at Ellison.

The soldiers were about to draw their swords to attack, but the pure disgusting odor filling up the balcony made them hesitate. Majority of them were gagging and groaning, the soldiers starting to fall to their knees at the invasive smell. I’d be like them too if I was caught off-guard, but I felt a bit clever by hitching up my shirt to cover my nose.

...Okay, shirt’s not enough! I can still smell it! It’s making me dizzy and sick at the same time. Just hold your breath. We don’t have to stay long.

I could see Zidane through the light haze of the pellets made after being smashed. He held his breath well as he approached Brahne quickly, tapping the large woman on the shoulder as she coughed out orders to find the source of the smell. This added to their current dilemma, making it easy for him to take my necklace and the stone from her grasps.

“Stop!” We all turned to see Beatrix braving the pellets effects with a hand on her face with the other wielding her sword. Right behind her I could see Ellison struggling to cover his nose with his jacket.

Freya blocks Beatrix’s attack on Zidane with her spear. The thief uses this as an opportunity to throw one of her soldiers into them, causing a chain reaction of sending them down to the floor with Ellison tumbling over the railing. If he didn’t have fast enough reflexes he would have kept falling down to the ground until he was just a stain on the sand below, but he was able to get his arm around the railing to save himself.

“Let’s get outta here!” Zidane hands over my necklace before running over to the exit. We all follow his lead, however I stop by the door and take another look at the balcony.

Beatrix had just thrown the soldier off her and Ellison was already trying to fight through the dry-heaving he was going through to get back on the ship. We’d have no chance in escaping if we let them get back up. Blowing them up would be too much if I ask Vivi for help. Hell, it might disturb him if I ask, especially after what we’d seen happen to the barrel explosion earlier.

So I just hold my necklace in my hand and feel its power again after a few minutes of being separated. I pointed at the entrance to the balcony, a purple barrier appeared and sealed their only way out. Of course, the smell will eventually subside since it’s an open area, but it’s still smells like multiple destroyed bathrooms rolled into one in there so it’s still terrible.

“Quick, we have to get to Alexandria!” Zidane called as I was about to catch up with them.

“The telepods!” Vivi pointed to the things we got out of earlier. “These can take us to Alexandria, right? That soldier earlier said so.”

“It’s better than nothing!” I shout as I make my way over to them, clearing the stairs in one jump.

I tried looking out to the morning sky to see what was attacking the ship. Just half a kilometer away I could see multiple ships approaching, cannons on its front launching another wave towards us. I hung on to the railing before impact, the ship shaking once again, but this time it wasn’t as bad as the ones earlier. Who are they?

I could see the others share a look before Zidane shrugged. “Here goes nothing then.” He then climbed into the pod he chose and dropped inside.

By the time I got there I could already hear something humming as if it was activated. One of the telepods produced a bubble as I got in mine, staying there for a few moments as I started to feel the telepod transform my body. It wasn’t as dizzying like the first time, but it was disorienting until I felt lighter than a feather. I only got my senses back when I was with the others in the air. We only stayed there for a second, just to make sure all four of us were ready, before leaving the airspace of the Red Rose.

I could see the Red Rose starting to gain speed and turning away from the attacking airship in an attempt to get away from it. Seeing its efforts to chase away the now retreating Alexandrian ship, I couldn’t help but wonder who is in that ship. It didn’t look familiar from any of the major ships in the game like all of the versions of the Hilde Garde. So I overtake the bubbles of the others before turning towards the ship in an attempt to tell them where I was going. I didn’t look to see if they were following, but this is just something I have to do to know who is helping us.

My little magic bubble flew towards the ship in an attempt to find where the driver is. I peered inside what looked like the windshield and was surprised to see something small jumping around the deck to various people. I only realized I should be glad of this thing’s presence when I saw the large mustache where its face was supposed to be.

It’s Regent Cid! This isn’t his ship, but he’s here! He really did read my letter!

The others started to float behind me as I tried to find a way to communicate with them. I’m not really sure if I can talk while I’m like this anyway. Should I though? Right now we’re on a rush to get to Alexandria and we’re using valuable time. But who knows how much time we have after seeing the Red Rose get attacked like that. We probably bought us more time to escape the castle, which might have a negative effect since it’s Beatrix who wakes up Dagger. If we have less time, we might experience heavy resistance. Maybe I can just rattle off as much info—”

“Hey Cid!” I heard Zidane’s voice through the windshield. Wait, through the windshield?

I look inside and see Zidane already out of his bubble with the regent in his hands. What is he doing!? We’re running out of time!

“Zidane!? How did *gwop* you get here?” His small voice carried through the air as the rest of us moved over to find an entrance. It took us a good few seconds, but we found a door to them and flew inside. His shock at seeing us made him squeak like an oglop. “And what are those!?”

“Don’t worry about them! That’s Freya, Vivi, and Alyssa.” Zidane briefly explained. “We don’t have much time to explain things. You have to get some of the wounded out of Cleyra. One of them is bleeding pretty badly but he’s still kicking. Probably get some of your guys to stay behind too. They’re pretty beat up down there. And we’re gonna go to Alexandria to stop Brahne from executing Dagger.”

“They are going to execute the princess!?” If Regent Cid could squeak a little harder it would have been torture on everyone else’s ears. Zidane nodded quickly to confirm this.

“Yeah, we have to go!” He let the regent down on the ground and went to my bubble.

It felt weird when he touched me, it’s like a hand touching water that had settled for a while and was now sending waves around, and I was the water. Even if I felt like I wasn’t there or ghostly, the space around me got smaller as Zidane started to disappear right in front of me. Once he was fully gone, moving felt like stumbling over a straight line with two left feet. Flying out of the ship’s interior would probably have been a good comedy skit if we had time to laugh at ourselves, but we were on a timer now.

It took a good minute or two of slipping through the door after the others, but we eventually got out of there and was free to commit any mistakes without bumping into any solid surfaces. With the Red Rose already ahead of us by minutes, we need to get there and bust out the others before it’s too late.

\- OLaF -

You know how it feels to sit in a plane for the first time and think that you’re going to be flying? Or that feeling when you go down your first zip line (assisted by a professional of course)? All that wind zipping by and your hair wildly flapping behind your head while you’re screaming at the top of your lungs! Well, you probably can’t scream like that in an airplane. You know what I mean.

It was kinda like that when while flying to Alexandria. Though I can feel Zidane’s presence since we shared the same bubble, but it was still fun to have that exhilarating experience. It’s never gonna happen again (I think) so it’s better to enjoy it while it lasts. Which wasn’t much when it felt like we zoomed to this dark place lit by torches a bit too fast.

Our bubbles deactivated one by one, depositing us on the stone floor with only a hint of grace. I landed on my butt hard before I could even see the floor under me. My behind stung for a few seconds, which no amount of complaining would help as I tried to stand, while Zidane managed to stick the landing beside me. Vivi shared my skill at falling, his groan made me wince sympathetically for him, while Freya was ready with her weapon the moment her feet touched the floor.

“This doesn’t look like the right place.” Vivi observed as I helped him up. “It happened so fast. I think we missed the castle.”

“Looks castle-y enough for me, but more like dungeon-y or basement-like.” I said. Though I hope I never have to go to an actual castle dungeon in my life.

The sound of armor clanking entered my ears from the staircase below. Everyone else took out their weapons for the incoming guard, but I just settled with just crossing my arms since I was behind everyone. When they found out it was Steiner running up the stairs, everyone put their weapons down in surprise with Zidane and our favorite knight exchanging words.

“Rusty?”

“What are you doing here!?”

“We do not have time for this.” Freya warned them.

“Steiner, is this Alexandria?” Zidane hurriedly asked. This only made him frown followed by a dismissive shake of his head.

“I have no time for your silly questions! I must escape this wretched dungeon of Alexandria and rescue the princess!”

“We’ll take that as a yes,” I spoke up and took the front so I can easily catch Steiner up. I look past him for a second with the thought that I was missing something. “Okay, we don’t have time to explain everything. Long story short: Dagger’s in danger, Brahne’s coming back here after attacking Cleyra to execute own daughter, we heard her say it, and we have to get to her in time.”

“E-Execute? Is this really true?” He looked at the others and their silence gave him enough proof of how twisted it was.

“That’s why we have to get to her first before the Red Rose docks. Let’s go!” Zidane is the first to break from the group, running towards what we think is the exit. It’s either that or run downstairs, which I’m betting isn’t the way. But we did follow his lead when we started to hear voices from the stairs.

All we had to do was run do a small hallway and round a corner to find Zidane waiting for us with a familiar thief with a bandana on his head right beside him. Both of them were waving at us, urging us to run faster, all the while the voices we heard started getting louder. It took a brief glance over my shoulder to see five women in Alexandria’s signature military outfit coming right at us.

Steiner, Freya, Vivi, and I barely manage to exit the hallway before Marcus kicked the steel gate lever on his side, cutting off the guards from catching us just in time. I had to take a second to catch my breath while the two Tantalus members briefly caught up in just a few words. Marcus wished him luck before leaving us to our devices.

“Wait.” Steiner suddenly said as we were walking out. He turned to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. Why does it feel like he’s going to say something very bad? “There is one thing I failed to mention. Your friend, Skylark, he came with us when we left Lindblum.”

I blinked at him and then my brain starts to berate me internally. Blake was with him? I got too focused with anticipating changes in the story that I forgot about him! Why wasn’t he with Steiner!?

“You mean the injured boy who fought with us against the Zaghnol?” Freya clarified. “And you thought it would be okay to bring him along?”

“Where is he? Isn’t he supposed to be with you?” I asked.

He looks away briefly, choosing to address Freya’s question first. “He insisted to come along with his pet and promised to not get in the way, not that his word would last long. Now he’s imprisoned somewhere else. They...” He hesitated, frowning at a spot on the floor as he tried to finish what he was saying. “The first time I saw after they interrogated him, all I can say is that I thought I would never see the day that our...their... interrogations could become so...violent.”

“Is...Is he alright?” The implication wasn’t lost on me, but...I just... it’s shocking. Looking at Steiner trying to find the right words only made it worse. “Steiner, please! You have to tell me if he’s alright!” I took hold of his arms and shook them as I begged him to tell me what he knew.

“I saw him after the first interrogation when they tried to question us as a group. He looked bruised, but fine nonetheless. When we attempted to escape, however, we were stopped and we were separated. I do not know what happened to him afterwards.”

They tried to escape? Did he plan that or just go along with it? If he thought it would change anything in the story’s events, Blake would have never agreed to it. The interrogation was concerning, but Steiner not knowing Blake’s condition after it made me worry even more. And to think I’ve forgotten about Blake when I knew he would be traveling with Steiner and Dagger. I should be ashamed for letting that happen, but what Steiner had told her made my blood stop cold. Thinking of the possible cruel things they could have done to Blake turned my shame into anger.

And here I thought they only stuck Steiner and Marcus in a massive bird cage was to humiliate them and not isolate them. There was no hint of interrogations in the source material before they were put there. Oh god, what methods did they use!? I need to see if he’s okay. What if...what if he’s not…?

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, it’s owner standing beside me with a determined look on her face. “We will find him.” Freya assured me.

“We’ll need to split up then.” Zidane concluded and everyone almost agreed. Things tend to go wrong when you divide a group to multitask, but I believe we can make it work. It has to. “Steiner, Vivi and I can go and find Dagger. Freya and Alyssa is on Blake duty.” That’s a fair split. Zidane’s group needs more people since they are going deeper into the castle and will encounter probably more obstacles than us.

“Once you find your friend, we can meet on the second floor just past the painting. You will know which one I am talking about when you find it.” Steiner added. I’m sure I already know which painting he’s talking about. “I can direct you to where we were held before being put in that cage.”

With everyone briefed on what we should do, we exited and found ourselves on the castle grounds. Strangely enough, there was no sign of a ‘welcoming party’ to meet us there, which is a positive for us. Steiner gave us directions to the dungeon where they were held before breaking away with the others. We had to circle to the back of the castle, where there might be guards stationed to keep the prisoners there from getting too rowdy, which might involve a few fights.

Keeping close to the castle walls and some shrubbery, which might not help when it’s too bright out here, Freya spotted the entrance and the three guards stationed there all sharing some small talk. There’s nothing covering us for a stealth approach during broad daylight, but I might have a way of distracting them.

“What in the world is that!?” One of them exclaimed when they saw my barrier appear to their right. It disappeared right before they could touch it, only to reappear a bit farther ahead of them.

This kept happening three more times until one of them just ran at it to try and grab it. She did catch it, but it was enough of a distraction for Freya to jump in between the three and hit the closest one with a swing of her spear’s shaft, nailing her right in the helmet and knocking her lights out.

I tackled the one who grabbed my barrier and punched her in the face while Freya dealt with the last one. The feeling of my knuckles connecting with the side of her face didn’t feel good to me, which it shouldn’t because I’ve never done this to a person before getting here, but there’s this hint of satisfaction when the thought of them torturing Blake came into mind. After hitting her one more time, this time done for Blake in case she did have a hand in his treatment, I followed Freya through the dungeon entrance.

Lit torches along a staircase going down a dark passage really made this place feel very homely. As unsettling it is for me to be in an actual dungeon keeping people locked up, the many voices yelling behind the locked doors made it more atmospheric and somewhat scary, we had to find Blake. However there’s no way of knowing which one is his unless we try every single door. That’ll take forever.

One of the doors ahead of us opened and Freya was quick enough to pull me to the side before I could be seen. Whatever it was they were talking about it sounded very serious. So serious in fact that they nearly walked past us if they hadn’t noticed Freya swing her spear. The one in front had her legs swept from under her and jabbing her helmet multiple times until she was unconscious. I, on the other hand, took hold of the other soldier’s hand so she couldn’t draw her sword, slipped behind and kicked at the back of her knees before pulling both of her hands into an X-gesture over her shoulders, trapping her arms around her own throat.

“Tell us where you’re keeping Blake Skylark.” I demanded, pulling at the straight-jacket hold on her when she tried to resist.

“Damn it, all this for a cripple?” I drove my knee on her back and pulled harder on her arms, putting her closer to the floor with her arms constricting around her own neck.

“That cripple is my friend!” I told her. Freya pointed her spear at her, the barely lit dark hallway behind her as she stared down the soldier through her pale hair made her more menacing.

“Alright, alright!” The woman tapped out. “He’s in 617! I have the key on my belt! Just stop it already and leave me alone!”

I released her arms and was about to run down the stairs to find Blake’s door when I felt something cut at my back. Shocking pain flared all over my back as I fell down. I didn’t have a chance to get my sword when Freya had brought down the retaliating soldier with a swift cut on her stomach and a silencing jab to the throat with the other end of her spear.

Freya drew a potion from her pocket as she helped me up. We grabbed the keys from the wounded soldier and kept moving down the stairs as I drank her potion and thanked her for the healing item as it was starting to heal my newly gained wound. The blood was gonna stay, but at least it’s closed up now.

It took us a good minute to find the doors starting with ‘6’. This is probably not the only dungeon in use in Alexandria, which is not a good thought to elaborate on. The deeper we went, the quieter it got. There’s still the wailing for freedom and sounds of crying from one of the doors though, so we weren’t all that lonely in our search.

After frantically running down and counting the doors, we found the one the soldier said. It was quiet and still when we looked inside, the only movement was coming from the three torches placed around the room.

“Blake?” I unlocked the door and quickly pushed it forward. No one answered, but I did manage to hear this faint mewling. That’s probably Nero!

Freya points to the closest door after a second of listening to the noise. We opened the door and the low light from the torches behind us showing a curled up body in the center of the cell, his back against us with no plans of moving, and the straps he wore for his armor were a mess due to missing armor pieces. They were actually scattered throughout the cell as if they were thrown away. Hiding away in one of the armor pieces was Nero.

“Blake!” The smell of sweat and alcohol became obvious the moment I rushed inside to kneel beside him. I thought that would be the only problem, but I was wrong. The sight of Blake like this made my heart drop. The closer I was, the harder it was to look at him. It’s obvious he’s hurt, but seeing his shirt ripped in various places like his back with deep dark bruises decorating his skin made it obvious to me that his treatment was worse than I imagined.

I turned him over on his back, only to see a trail of blood from his mouth and the side of his head had dried up. His hands were bound by these wooden handcuffs with a simple lock on one end. Didn’t they see him with a sling and a cast? Why would they do this?

He gave us a sign that he’s still alive by groaning while I was trying to get the lock and free his hands.

“Blake, it’s me, Alyssa. Freya and I here!” I finally manage to unlock it and get rid of the wooden handcuff. I wince as he starts roughly coughing out some spit and blood into his hand. All I could do was just hold him and watch. It’s painful seeing him like this. It’s like knowing what’s wrong and not being able to do anything about it. And to think the last time we saw each other was when we were arguing about what we should be doing with this world’s future. He eventually settled down, however he was barely breathing. I tried shaking him awake before remembering that I still have potions. “It’s going to be alright, Blake. Just hold on.”

Placing the now open potion vial against his lips, I started pouring its contents slowly so he wouldn’t cough or spit it out. He tried to fight it by trying to push me away. His efforts as wasted when I could barely feel him put any force on it, probably due to the injuries he’s suffered. His eyes finally opened a few seconds later, that brief moment he looked up at me was enough to stop him from fighting. I waited for him to speak, only to have him lay there motionless yet breathing.

“We have to get him out of here and meet up with the others.” Freya finally spoke as she knelt beside me. “Take his left, I’ll take his right and then we can carry him out.”

I nodded, adjusting Blake so I had his left arm over my shoulders. Freya moved over to take his right arm on her shoulders. Noticing a certain chocobo’s tweets, I look down and see Nero dragging the discarded sling he used to ride in. I indulge the growing chick by putting the sling around my neck and place him inside. The pieces of armor scattered all over came to mind, but then he wouldn’t be in any fighting shape by the time we can get him to a hospital or to a white mage who won’t mind using all of her magic on him. With that in mind, we left the pieces behind and start to leave his cell.

Carrying up an unconscious and injured Blake is easier said than done. Sure he weighs fairly like a college student on a ramen diet, but the number of steps we have to climb didn’t do us any favors. I couldn’t help but look at him a few times in case he’s woken up, only to see this tired wince on his face as we moved. I squeezed his hand as we pushed on, hoping he felt that in his sleep.

It felt like we were walking for forever despite picking up the pace. We stumbled into a sign that we were getting close to the exit when we saw a small puddle of blood on the ground where the two soldiers used to be. They’re calling for back-up now and they might be just outside waiting for us.

A minute later when we finally reached the door, we could hear a faint rustling outside. Movement. A lot of it and that meant danger. We don’t have time right now to fight them and we still have to catch up with the others. Just as I was about to ask Freya what we should do, she started putting down Blake’s right arm to his side.

“I’ll keep them at bay for a while. You get inside and find the others.” Freya told me as she readied her spear.

I would have argued against it and told her we should stick together, but a pained moan from the Blake made me stop. I have to get Blake to safety first. Most of the guards in the route of Zidane’s group should be taken care of, or at least I hope so or it’d be harder fighting off soldiers while protecting Blake, so I could just rush to that room with the secret passage. Even if it feels wrong to leave Freya behind, I know she can handle herself.

“Whenever you’re ready,” I answer, “And please stay safe.”

She nodded as she opened the door. Alarmed shouts followed by various weaponry clashing was my signal to start moving. I adjusted my hold on Blake, I lifted him up so his entire body was on my shoulders instead of just supporting one side. I’m willing to correct myself earlier about his weight. College students can still be heavy, and Blake sure is for me to carry him. But I’ve already got him there so I might as well start moving now!

I hastily exit the dungeon and run to the left. Sure some of the soldiers saw me, but I wasn’t really planning on being very stealthy outside. I’m also sure that got them hit and wounded for not focusing on the dangerous Burmecian with the long spear and quick reflexes.

But one of the soldiers is really insistent on blocking my path. “Where do you think you’re going with MY prisoner!”

“Your prisoner?” I repeated as I carefully watched the sword of the helmeted woman in front of me. Then it finally crossed my mind about what she meant. “You’re the one... You did this to him!?”

“Revenge for what he did a week before.” Then she pointed her sword at me. Wait, she’s that girl he pushed off? The one he almost killed? “There’s still a lot more where it came from, so you better hand him over! I’ve yet to start breaking his bones.”

“The hell you will!” I shouted back. And to prove a point, a spear landed between the two of us before Blake’s torturer got a step closer. Freya landed and instantly went after her, giving me a chance to retreat and find an entrance to Dagger’s massive home.

I continued running until I reached the double doors leading inside the main castle. And what do you know, I see a couple of soldiers knocked out on the floor or lying against the pillar. A couple of them either had burns on them or a frozen part of their body while some were wounded as they groaned in pain. I’d feel sorry for them for just doing their job, but then I become aware of the weight on my shoulders and this bitter feeling overcomes me for their possible treatment of Blake.

Jogging up the stairs, past the staff lockers, and up a shorter set of stairs eventually brought me to lounge-like room that had the secret entrance to the castle’s hidden underground path. It’s already open, meaning they’re down there laying the smackdown on Zorn and Thorn. Having just three of them might make it a bit of a close fight, though I wish I was down there to help them out. But I can’t right now. Who knows what would happen if I leave Blake here alone.

...Maybe I could just lock the door. That’s actually a good idea.

The moment I lock the doors, I could hear Blake groaning in pain. I put him in that fancy couch by the fireplace/secret entrance and it doesn’t seem like he’s getting comfy on it, though Nero was glad enough to be placed on security duty by sitting on the arm rest near his head. I should’ve put him on his side or his front since his back looks worse the entirety of his body. Is it worth doing all this to him just because he threw her off an airship? At least she’s alive, that she should be grateful for. But this is just too much.

I was inspected his wounds and the potion sure was taking a while to take effect. His bruises still looked gross and near black, but it was smaller than the last time I looked at it. Before I could pull out another potion to make his recovery go faster, I felt his hand graze against my arm.

“Who’s there..?” His voice sent Nero into a tweeting frenzy. “Nero…? You carried me...out of that hellhole?”

“He wishes he did that.” I said once I was right beside him. He turned his head slowly, a grave wince on his face until he finally saw me. His eyebrows knit together as he stared at me, as if trying to focus. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Obviously…” He coughed. Okay, it was a stupid question. But I’m still worried about him! I can’t help but ask and get confirmation from the source instead of just assuming. “I need to tell you something.”

Did he find out something important while he was imprisoned here? Is it about Kuja or Ellison? Maybe they have something else planned that we didn’t know because of other factors changing this world’s events. I knelt beside him to get closer, wondering what info he had.

“What is it?” I moved some of his hair from his eyes that blocked part of his eyes. He looked back at me as he tried to relax, which didn’t work when he hissed when my finger barely touched him.

“I...I…” HIs voice was coarse. My hand held on to the potion vial that I just got in case he needed a drink.

“You what?” His hand lands on my shoulder and holds it as tight as he can. I let my hand cover his as he tried to finish, squeezing reassuringly that he can do it. “What is it?”

“...I should’ve pushed her harder off the ship.”

I stare at him for a second. There was something I was expecting, something crucial. But then he mentioned something about a woman. He’s not really close to any other women in this world. My brain takes a while to piece together what he meant and it took an image of that soldier that tried to stop me earlier to figure out what he meant.

“Blake!” I stand abruptly, only to see his lips trying to smile. Even if that wasn’t nice of him to say, I’d say she deserves to fall off a higher airship for what she did to him.

“What took you so long?” Pain painted a frown on his face.

“Big fight at Cleyra. But I’m here now. We’re all here now.” I answered as I sit on the available space on the couch. It’s the first time since the start of Brahne’s attack on Cleyra that I’ve sat down. Felt like a long time since then too. Wish I could just sit back and take this all in for a few minutes, just let all I’ve done and decided to do sink in. “We need a vacation from this whole thing.”

“I wish we had that luxury.”

We both sighed. To think we were in summer vacation mode before we were transported to Gaia. Makes me wish I spent the few days of vacation in a more meaningful way before getting here. As much as I wanted to make this last, Blake had other plans as he tried moving to get on his elbows. “What are you doing? You should just lie down and rest.”

“I’ve been on the floor of my prison cell for what felt like half a day. The other half was spent being brutalized by a maniac. Besides, we don’t have time for rest with all the running and fighting we’ll be doing in a few minutes.” He had fair points, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t prioritize his health instead of preparing for the big fights that’s about to take place. “Come on, I need to get off this thing. My back is killing me.”

“Are you sure? You can’t really fight or move that much in your condition.” Despite saying that, I’ve already stood up to make room for him.

He struggled to get up to a sitting position, pulling himself with one hand by grabbing the back pillows until he could swing his legs and step on the floor. I extended my hand and pulled him to his feet, but he stumbled when his legs failed him.

“Whoa!” One grip on his hand turned to both of my arms opening to catch him. Nearly all of his weight crashed into me as he stumbled forward, but I managed to save the both of us a nasty spill. He might’ve gotten his head scrambled if he hit the floor so carelessly. Blake already has enough injuries that I can count them on both hands. Probably. Most of them might be internal.

His head rested against my shoulder and I could feel his faint breath against my shirt. I didn’t think I’d see him this out of it. I just kept him up against me, my hands not knowing where to go on his back since he’s battered all over there. He’s hurt enough as it is. He doesn’t need me making it worse. So I just laid them on his side to avoid touching his bruises.

I never expected to see someone I know be treated like this. Thinking what they might’ve done to hurt him to this point made me sick. I know that girl earlier said it was for revenge, but they also interrogated him so they probably also hurt him for info. Knowing Blake’s own strict belief of not sharing what we know of this world, he definitely gave them a hard time. That probably got him close to dead. Thankfully he dodged a bullet by just being tortured instead of straight up killed. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.

Feeling another breath leave him, I look at him and for some reason he looks like a dainty and frail boy in my arms, like he doesn’t belong anywhere here. Well, we both don’t belong here, but him even more than me. Maybe if he had something like my magic necklace he would be able to do much more than simply jumping on a monster’s back. If he keeps doing that I’m sure it’ll backfire even worse than the time he did it on Black Waltz No. 3 and become more of a lia--

No, he’s not a liability! He’ll be angry with me if he hears I said that!

Even if he claims he’s more of the brains of our group, he’s the only one careless enough to be hurt more times than everyone combined. But at least he’s fighting with us. It’s the thought that counts. I’m sure that’s a consolation he would not want to hear from anyone. But the truth is he always gets hurt and I don’t want to see that happen anymore. Someone has to keep him in line and protect him to prevent him from suffering anymore injuries.

If he needs someone to protect him, then I’ll be there for him.

He groans against my shoulder, probably already regretting his decision to stand now. My hand goes over to his head, running them through his hair to soothe his pain.

“C’mon let’s get you back to the couch.” I tell him. But just as I was about to move us towards it, he shakes his head against me. His hand moves over to my shoulder, holding tight as if telling me to stop.

Blake pulls his head out away from my shoulder just enough for his tired eyes to look back at me. The way he stared made me curious and sad. Our proximity didn’t help matters too. We were TOO close, in fact that I could feel the exhaustion in his eyes. And he was just staring at me. What is he thinking...?

“Are we interrupting something?”

Zidane’s voice makes me jump, nearly shoving Blake off me in surprise. He stumbled back and teetered, struggling to regain his balance until I pulled him back safely into my arms again just before he could fall to the ground. The others had started coming out of the secret entrance with Zidane getting out first. Surprisingly, he didn’t have Dagger in his arms. Steiner was actually the one carrying her with Vivi stopping right in front of him. Their wondering faces focusing on me made everything from my neck upwards warm up.

“No! You’re not interrupting anything! Blake was...uh...just trying to stand.” I explained. It looked like they accepted my answer when Zidane walked to me. He was just about to help me put Blake back on the couch when he saw the extent of his injuries. The expressions of the trio darkened.

“The man may have been a nuisance, but he certainly did not deserve such treatment.” Steiner shook his head, looking away from Blake and instead went to put Dagger on the couch.

“And we don’t have a way to heal him. Damn it.” Zidane cursed.

“We can use our potions,” Vivi suggested, but I turned it down.

“If we use all of them to make Blake better, we might run out. We still have to find a way out. Besides, I’ve given him one potion already.” We need to have our priorities straight. Escape first after Dagger wakes up.

Vivi walked over and scanned Blake’s back. “But he still looks hurt.”

“I know. One isn’t enough. If he needs it, I can give him another. He’ll pull through. I know it.” I transfer my gaze to sleeping beauty herself. “What about her? Is she alright?”

“Dagger’s still alive, but…” Vivi couldn’t finish, his saddened tone made me think of the roller coaster of emotions they had when they found her. Even Steiner had turned away from us, the mere sight of the princess in such a vulnerable state made him shake. If I didn’t know what was happening and found Blake in his current state, I wouldn’t know what to do. “Do you think she will wake up?”

Zidane tries place the blame on himself by getting here too late. Steiner, on the other hand, noticed the change in Zidane’s attitude and wanted to shift the blame to himself since he had traveled with the princess and was not able to stop this from happening.

It wasn’t actually both of their fault. This situation is complicated for the both of them and there was no one to blame. Dagger wanted to come here to talk her mother down, Steiner wouldn’t have known things would happen like this, and Zidane didn’t know she would go home instead of trying to help in Burmecia.

If anything, the blame should go to me and Blake. We all knew this was going to happen but didn’t try to stop them. I only stepped in when it was too late to stop her.

Amidst the blame shifting and quiet despair around us, Vivi’s the one to get us back on track. “Shouldn’t we find a way out of here? We might get attacked if we stay here longer.”

We all share a look, one that we can finally agree on. Steiner is the one to follow in the black mage’s effort by pointing to the secret entrance they had come out earlier. “Master Vivi is right. We can use this entrance to the underground passage and use the gargant system to reach Treno.” Only Vivi seemed to notice the mention of the gargants, repeating the last part of Steiner’s statement quietly.

“But before that, everyone’s not yet here.” Zidane observed, noticing a lack of red in our group. Freya should be done distracting those soldier to cover my escape. Wonder what’s taking her so long. “I’ll find her, won’t take long.”

Knowing Zidane he’d be slipping past most of the soldiers that come his way. Both of them should be able to meet up in a minute or so and then come back before we could ask what’s taking them so long?

The thief quickly unlocked the door and ran out. What we didn’t expect was to hear him having trouble outside if the sounds of clashing steel were any indication. They found us out easily. That means Zidane has to draw them out of here before they surround us.

Well, that would’ve been my guess as to what he was planning to do until we heard a loud crash outside. I was the first to come out of the room, with Vivi following close, when I found Zidane on his back and the doors to the hall broken off its hinges.

“I guess that’s one way to open a door.”

As if to dampen our spirits, four individuals stood at the doorway, a faint stench hung in the air as they entered. One of them was Ellison, sporting a grin as he entered first. Right behind him were the queen’s jesters, pointing at Zidane and rambling on about how they attacked them just a few minutes ago (in normal sentence form and Yoda sentence form). Last to enter behind them is General Beatrix. The moment I felt her eyes land on me, I felt a shiver go down my spine. Nothing was more terrifying than the death glare Beatrix was aiming at us. If she wasn’t a normal person I would have already turned to dust.

“What do we have here? Think you can infiltrate this castle and leave unscathed?” Ellison questioned as he sauntered forward, his eyes going over to me afterwards. “If you want we can put you all in the same cage so all of you can be comfy together.”

“We took you down once, we can do it again,” was my lame comeback. We all drew our weapons and formed a wall between our defenseless friends in the other room and them. Ellison took out his knives from his sleeve (Does he ever run out of those?) and stepped forward, until Beatrix stopped him with her sword barring his way.

“Step aside. I will finish this once and for all and I will not have you ruin this.” Beatrix left her ally with her queen, ignoring the shrug and the eye roll from the gunman. Any hint of irritation started to fade when she spotted the knight join us in our formation. “Welcome back, Steiner. Where have you been all this time? Don’t tell me you have been enjoying the company of these scoundrels.”

“The only scoundrels around here is you, that guy behind you, and your fat queen!” Zidane shouted. His words barely registered as Beatrix pointed her sword at us.

“Fools like you will never learn.”

Beatrix made the first move, cutting at the air as her sword cracked with thunder, sending a wave of frightening magic at us. All four of us scattered to avoid it with Zidane the first to recover and run at her. She easily blocked his attacks and was often dodging them to counterattack.

Steiner and I followed suit, coming around her flank while Zidane had him in a deadlock. After pushing back Zidane to create some space, she raised her sword to let Steiner’s own slide against it until a flash of thunder hit him in the chest. It blinded me for a second, making everything disappear in a brief blinding brightness for a good full second, but it was enough for her to deflect the lousy attack I went for. If it wasn’t for the barrier I put up after I would have gotten stabbed or cut down.

Vivi successfully connected with a Thundara on the general. However, she only slid back a few feet while still standing with part of her uniform burned from the attack. She was about to hit back, probably with intent on doubling the pain, when I noticed the jewel on her sword glow. Vivi would’ve been toast if I hadn’t put up a barrier between them. It blocked most of it and is still powerful enough to break through it, but it was half a second enough for Vivi to move out of the way and fire back with another spell.

Zidane approached from the front after Vivi’s second Thundara missed, catching the skilled woman with a swift cut on the leg, only for his next strike to be deflected extremely hard that he stumbles back a few steps. Steiner was there to pick up where Zidane left off, trading blows with each other’s swords. Both were equally matched. It would have lasted longer if this was a fair fight and was just for fun, but that wasn’t the case right now.

The air went cold for an instant as the floor underneath Beatrix after pushing away from a clash with the knight. A massive spike of ice rose by her feet. It would have skewered her if she hadn’t kicked off Steiner, back flipping off his armor to safety. One second later, the icicle leaned to one side, majority of it coming off and from behind it was Beatrix. Did she just cut a big block of ice like it was cotton!?

Escaping the icy debris occupied Steiner enough for Beatrix to move on to me. I backpedaled super hard just to avoid her, blocking with my sword barely worked when one swing from her completely opened me up and sent painful aches up my arms. That forced me to use barriers instead. I could barely keep up with her as she easily broke my defenses by anticipating where I placed them, feinting to the sides instead of a frontal assault. I thought I could be clever by blocking where she was about to feint to the side, but it turned out to be a ruse when she went direct instead of switching sides, nailing me with a long slash up my left arm.

She battered the barrier I set up between us, trying to break through with each mighty slash from her sword. Thunder started cracking around her blade as she went for one more go at my magic shield. Zidane tackled me into safety before she could hit both me and my barrier. Steiner took my place, occupying her again and matching her with his own skill with the sword.

I look down and wince at the nasty wound I got. It’s gonna scar without magic, but it’ll impress a whole lot of people when they know this was from Beatrix. The thought of using a potion came to mind, but despite Zidane’s protests I pushed past the pain and went back in the fight. We’re gonna run out of items if we keep using them upon getting hurt. Might as well save it up until we really need it.

Beatrix didn’t mind Steiner’s challenge to him, but we were on the losing side of things. He glanced at the black mage on stand by and nodded, both men having the same idea in mind as it seems, as he started to push back at Beatrix. Steiner readied himself, catching a long downwards cut from the enemy general and moving to the side, dodging it just mere inches, and then attacking. His sword was swallowed by a red aura mid-slash. It caught Beatrix off-guard as she tried to block it, but the attack wasn’t just physical but also part-area-of-attack as fire swirled around her.

I tried to help by literally blocking off Beatrix’s escape attempt with my own magic, stopping her in her tracks as the fire worsened form Steiner and Vivi’s combo. A bright glow shined in the contained fiery storm, followed by a loud grunt as Steiner flew a good five feet from where he stood. One small part of his armor was singed and smoking. Beatrix emerged from the fire wounded and breathing hard, but her resolve still remained strong as she carried herself proudly even after that attack.

My ears was then assaulted by the familiar noise of a bullet hitting the ground. It actually stopped Zidane from advancing on the hurt Beatrix. All of us turned to the cause, even Beatrix spared him a glance, as Ellison grinned behind the iron sights of his rifle.

“I told you to stay out of my fight!” Beatrix yelled at her ‘comrade’.

He merely shrugged before aiming at us again. “It’s taking too long. Here, let me end this for you.”

Ellison wasn’t able to get a second shot in when something small in blue hit him in the back. A second figure, this time in red, collided with his legs and knocked him down on his back. Both Zorn and Thorn were screaming their heads off as they rolled off Ellison’s body on the threat of getting kicked. Standing tall behind them was Freya, spear pointed at the three fallen men.

“The end will only come for you, you treacherous coward.” Freya said, advancing on the main threat of the trio. Zorn and Thorn were about to use their magic on her, but was simply swatted away while her target slinked away towards Beatrix.

We surrounded them, with Freya coming up to block the exit and the rest of us completing the circular wall around Beatrix. Even with the greater numbers it felt like they have the upper hand.

Ellison pulled Beatrix out of the way and threw knives at the rest of us. A simple back step was enough to dodge them, but it was all a ruse for him to draw his revolver. I was the first to run away when he started pointing it at us. Every other second it would unload a bullet, the BANG it would follow got louder than the one before. I had grabbed Vivi by the arm and dragged him along in case he was targeted. One glance at him and I saw him firing like a cowboy, one hand braced against his side and the other doing something to the back of its barrel. Whatever it was, he was shooting faster than a usual revolver can allow.

Our group basically started to run around in random directions to avoid his gunfire. Beatrix can’t even get to any of us in fear of getting caught in the crossfire. The massive glare she was aiming at Ellison did nothing as he reloaded and unloaded as fast as he can. At this rate, he’s gonna run out of bullets, but that begs the question of how much bullets does he have.

Zidane didn’t want to wait around to find out as he redirected himself for a direct approach. I caught sight of this and put a barrier directly in front of Ellison to prevent him from shooting at him. The thief uses the combined length of his thief sword to vault over it and landed square on his arms, knocking his gun out of them. To further add to the disarming, Zidane kicked the gun across the room where his filthy hands couldn’t reach.

Ellison didn’t like that at all, so he got his knives and went at the thief. Precise and quick cuts came at him, he either dodged or blocked them by swinging and spinning The Ogre around. Right beside them, Freya and Beatrix continued what they weren’t able to finish in Cleyra. Sword and spear, hitting against each other or missing by mere centimeters in an intense one-on-one fight. Steiner and Vivi considered where they should help, but the two noticed another threat in the room. Well, as threatening as pair of jumpy gnomes, that is. Just a simple Thunder spell on the two knocked them out.

Getting the rifle first while Ellison is occupied became my first objective. Once I had it, I put the strap over my head and let it hang from my side. I sure as hell won’t be using it right now because I might accidentally hurt my friends with it. Only when I have a clear shot I’ll do it. Of course, Ellison sees me with his deadly weapon and wants it back, only for Zidane to stop him from getting close. With one of his guns in my hands, it’s better to focus on the real threat in the room: Beatrix.

I shout to Steiner, catching both his and Vivi’s attention, and point to Beatrix before going in to help Freya. Didn’t have time to check if they knew what I meant as I helped Freya separate herself from the fearsome woman with a barrier. I came running to Beatrix’s flank, letting my magic run out before trying to attack. I got her attention and it left her open to an attack from the Burmecian. We switched mainly to distract and attack, and it only got worse for Beatrix when Steiner came in with a Blizzara Slash. He might have missed, but it froze the floor and it disoriented her graceful movement enough to nearly cause her to slip.

Freya caught just as she was regaining her balance, the spear going in and out of her shoulder before carefully backstepping away from her sword. Steiner came in for a strike and was block, retaliating with her own stab at the knight, only to be stopped by my barrier. Both Steiner and Freya got Beatrix on the ropes as she’s trying to defend against both of their attacks. She really tried to prevent us from getting the better of her by upping her blocking and dodging. However, I would always help by activating barriers whenever Beatrix would attack. Most of the time it works and she gets staggered by magic working against her and then having to block Steiner and Freya, save for the couple of times she got in faster. I stuck to defending us since the cut she got on me is starting to hurt more and more now.

Still, three on one is still unfair even for the best swordswoman in Alexandria, and she wanted to even the odds. This humming sound starting filling my ear for some reason. Then I noticed Beatrix’s sword shimmering with energy as she blocked Freya and Steiner’s onslaught. Just as I was about to stop her next attack, the humming got louder.

“Stock Break!”

In one swift movement, her sword sliced into my barrier like it was a hot knife through butter. Not only that, but her sword gave this intense wave of pressure in that single movement that I could barely feel my legs under me. I couldn’t even lift up my arms or focus magic for another barrier when she raised her sword again. This time it had a orange hue to it. Whatever it was, I could already tell it was going to be extremely painful.

“Climhazzard!”

Her sword was engulfed by this orange energy that felt like it detonated in front of my face. Nothing could have protected me from it. A powerful force impacted against my chest, like a truck had gone and hit me at full speed. The floor under my feet felt nonexistent for a second before my back harshly bounced off the floor at least twice and then rolled at least thrice until I came to a stop.

My head was ringing and every part of my body was shaking. Moving was painful. The thought of moving made my senses ache! Everything I wanted to do, from basic stuff like breathing and blinking to what I want to do like get up and fight, felt impossible when it felt like my bones are crushed.

The sound of someone shouting came, only for that same voice to be silenced as a pair of new bodies joined me on the floor. Blond hair came into view followed by a light brown hat. Zidane and Vivi. Did Beatrix get them too?

“Like I said. Fools like you never learn.” Beatrix’s voice sounded so muddled that I could blame her if I really had any hearing damage.

Camoflauged boots walked over, making sure to plant one on my gut, drawing a gasp from me as its owner stepped off a second later. When my vision eventually cleared, I could see Ellison grab the strap of the rifle and pull it over my head. After taking back his weapon, he drew a knife and pulled Zidane over with a handful of his blond locks.

His knife touches my skin lightly as he started to talk. “I may not be allowed to kill you, but no one said I can’t make you suffer.” Then he pressed it hard enough to cut through, drawing a yelp from me as blood started to trickle out. But he didn’t continue when he pulled away, which was a relief. His knife then turned to Zidane’s face. “Or I can just hurt your friends as you’ve hurt me—”

Ellison’s stopped talking when I saw something sharp be pointed at his neck. “What do you think you are doing?” Beatrix’s cold tone interrupted him. I could ask her the same question. Wasn’t she just fighting side by side with this guy?

“Compensation? Eye for an eye? There are more terms I can call this, but I’m sure you get the gist of it.”

“You do not deserve to decide if they should live or die today. The queen will pass judgment on them first.”

Ellison scoffed. “Like how she ‘passed judgment’ on her daughter? As if she wants to wait for an actual ‘trial’ on these fools. Might as well alleviate her schedule.” He then turned to me with a wicked grin. “Let me carve you a good warning with this guy. Maybe that will teach you from intervening in matters that don’t involve you.”

My eyes widened when he struck Beatrix’s sword away from his face, the suddenness of the attack catching her off-guard and caused her to stumble back. Sure it looked like they didn’t like working with each other, but I didn’t expect them to break out into a fight right now.

With Beatrix off his neck, his focus went back to the unconscious Zidane. He raised his knife over his head with the intent of harming him. I tried to reach out and stop him, but I felt too weak to do anything. Damn it!

“Zidane!”

CLINK!

The knife never came down. Both Ellison and I looked up at his hand and saw it had this bright light wrapped around it. The light dissipated a bit to show that it was actually chains, and they were holding Ellison’s arm back. He tried his damndest to move it, but the limb would not budge. Looking past him I could see the source of the chains.

Barely standing by the secret entrance with his left arm extended at us, the same limb also wrapped in chains was…Blake!? He’s doing that!?

It proved to be enough of a distraction for Zidane. He sat up from the floor and headbutted the knife nut, giving him enough space to push him off. Once Blake’s job was done, he had fallen on one knee, the chains disappearing. Staggering from the unexpected hit, Ellison covered part of his face with his hand as he wildly went at Zidane, missing majority his attacks as Zidane managed to retrieve The Ogre from the floor and defend from the reckless assault. Ellison tried to whip out his gun from his jacket, but was thwarted when Zidane smacked his hand away from it, stabbed him in the foot, and used his tail to pull him down to the ground.

Despite being attacked earlier, Beatrix charged Zidane with her sword about to come down at him. It ripped through his vest and made it to the skin, letting loose a sizeable amount of blood through the cut. Beatrix and Ellison may not like working with each other, but we still count as a combined threat to them. They’ll probably fight it over once we’re out of the picture.

Planning to finally put the nail in our coffin, Beatrix gave off that ominous orange energy as she approached the defiant Zidane. Oh god, she’s gonna do Climhazzard again. It’s deadly against a party of four, but on one person? She’s gonna kill him!

I tried to get up on my feet, but I fought through the body aching, shouting at me to stop moving and managed to get on my knees. Even if I did force myself up, there’s still a good few feet between us. There was no way I could stop her now.

As if hearing my thoughts, I see movement at the corner of my eye. It’s Blake again! And he’s doing the same thing again, but this time he’s stopping Beatrix!

His forearm started to glow, the links then forming around it. Then they shot out three bright yellow chains and wrapped itself around Beatrix’s upper body. It effectively stopped her from further hurting Zidane.

We still didn’t have enough time to celebrate our victory when I heard the dreaded click that haunted my memories. Just an arm’s reach away from me was Ellison. His nose looked bigger than usual– wait, it’s bent to the left a bit- and he’s audibly growling. He was bringing up his rifle as his eyes focused on the injured boy trying to help us. Oh no, he’s gonna shoot him!

Gritting my teeth and wishing for the best, I ignored the pain everywhere in my body and threw myself at the gunman. The moment I landed on him, a shot rang in my ears before we hit the ground. I desperately held down Ellison while trying to get a look at Blake. He was still on one knee, wide-eyed with surprise after hearing that gunshot, but his hands were patting himself everywhere. It didn’t look like he was hit. When he realized this, he gave me a thumbs up and a wide grin.

And that had to change when Beatrix charged him and had her sword against his neck. His functional hand was raised in surrender, the steel barely touching his skin.

“Who are you and why are you helping them?” She questioned him, ignoring Nero courageously tweeting at her.

“Get away from him!” Caring for my own wellbeing went out of the window when I saw her threatening him. I was not as intimidating as I thought I was after that yell. Beatrix merely took a glance at me before pressing her sword harder against his neck, repeating her question to him.

That was the breaking point. You can threaten a friend’s country with war. You can point a gun at my face. But you won’t harm an already injured person when he can barely defend himself right in front of me, especially when he’s my friend!

And of course, just as I tried to stumble towards them, Ellison grabbed both of my feet and pulled. My face painfully met the floor and found a weight crash onto my back. “You’re not going anywhere, girlie.”

“It really doesn’t matter who I am.” Blake’s voice was scratchy and rough, but hearable enough to see it cause Beatrix to slightly tilt her head. “I just traveled with the princess. She wanted to come back home so she can talk to the queen. But Her Majesty put me, Marcus, and Steiner in jail instead and had us questioned and tortured for information. Then she had the princess put to sleep. We did nothing wrong, yet we suffered for it. But you wouldn’t know when your underlings do all the work for you.”

“Tortured?” That got her attention. She turned to Steiner, who was starting to get up, as if to ask if that was true. Even without any words traded between them, the nod she got from him was enough of a response for her. She lowered her sword and circled the kneeling man, her eyebrows tightly tied together as she finally saw his injuries.

“You’re the general of this kingdom, right?” Zidane spoke up as he tried to remove himself from the floor. “What’s your sworn duty anyway? Isn’t it to protect Dagger-- Princess Garnet!? I’m sure you know who’s sitting over there.”

“It can’t be…” His finger pointed towards the couch and Beatrix’s eyes followed. Her feet guided her to Dagger’s sleeping form. “Princess...so it is true. The queen really did mean to kill her.”

I was expecting a certain someone to defend Queen Brahne, but the man in the old armor didn’t have anything to say. In fact, he looked somewhat downtrodden at Beatrix’s words, as if it confirmed something to him.

“My heart is set...All this time, I’ve been mistaken.” She looks down at her sword before facing Freya, a look of grief on her face. “Citizens of Burmecia, please forgive me.”

“It’s too late to seek forgiveness. But you can still save Dagger.” Freya urged her to do the right thing. “I tell you this because I acknowledge you powers. Help your princess.”

The general sheathed her sword, making everyone else feel less threatened than before and confirming that things have calmed down. Sure my bones still ache and I still can’t get up properly, but at least we’re not fighting anymore. A few minutes not fighting Beatrix is a godsend.

She kneels beside the sleeping princess and places a hand on her arm. “I don’t know if I can, but I will give it a try--”

“What is this nonsense!?”

Everyone turns to the only man standing in the room. Ellison stares back at everyone in a frustrated confusion. It would’ve been funny to look at if it wasn’t for the knife in his hand and the fact that he had his foot on the back of my knee. He wanted me to stay there, probably as leverage. It looked like everyone else realized this too. But I tried to get my sword, which wasn’t possible at the moment when it had fallen out of my hand when I was promptly taken down a minute ago.

“When did you suddenly gain a conscience?” Ellison demanded, his tone was close to make it look like he had been personally insulted. “What happened to the cold, faithful, ruthless general of Alexandria that wasn’t satisfied with the bloodshed in Burmecia? Did she die in Cleyra after her defeat and out of the shell came this weakling?”

“Traitor!” Zorn declared, jumping in place to support the gunman.

“Disgusting!” Thorn added. However, one glare from the woman made them cower behind Ellison’s legs.

“I would watch your next words if I were you.” Beatrix’s hand went to the hilt of her sword as she eyed her mouthy comrade.

“Just because you’ve become aware of some horrible actions the queen has encouraged does not make you less guilty of them. You’ve killed in the name of honoring your kingdom. And now you lose your spine because your queen wants her daughter punished.”

“By killing her?!”

“Exactly! You heard her on the ship. She committed a crime and she is being treated like a regular human being. Maybe if she wasn’t a coward for running to Lindblum and a numbskull for coming back then maybe she would have avoided this fate. She deserves what’s coming to her. What you think you’re doing won’t matter--”

His next words were cut off when most of his upper body was wrapped in chains. Zorn and Thorn didn’t bother to stick around when their tough buddy got silenced. I was able to get out from under his boot after he got caught, kicking at his knee to fully knock him down as revenge. Petty, I know. He deserved it though.

“Sorry, listening to him was starting to get irritating. As you were saying, general?” Blake admitted when our curious stares got to him.

With a nod, Beatrix put all of her attention on Dagger. She was silently whispering something to herself, these words causing her hand to glow blue, before touching Dagger’s shoulder. A blue wave spiraled above the sleeping princess a few times until it disappeared. As she tried to do this a second time, everyone else was starting to get up from the floor. Since we knew we were far from safe, we took out hi-potions to heal some of our wounds. I gave one to Blake when I helped him up from the floor.

“Thanks.” He breathed, patting me on the shoulder. I couldn’t help staring at his left hand, thinking back the two times he stopped someone in their tracks with the magic he used.

“How did you do that?” I asked as he tried to pick up Nero, which he wasn’t able to do when his body froze up, requiring help to get up again.

“Do what?” He looked at me, curious what I meant, but he got what I meant when I nodded over to his able hand. “Oh that. That’s...a recent thing actually. Hard to explain and I might need to experiment on it some more.” Honestly, he looked more annoyed as he scanned his left hand, specifically the armor worn on his forearm. I just noticed that it looked more worn down than the ones he had left. Seeing its odd symbols made me think of secret artifacts in movies that can grant powers to whoever wears it. Did he take this from someone?

“Oh…” That was the only sound I managed to make when I tried to answer back. Blake didn’t take any offense at my speechlessness. In fact, he didn’t say anything back because everyone else was celebrating.

Their reason for celebrating: Beatrix’s magic had broken through the clowns’ curse, successfully waking up the princess. Zidane and Steiner were right by her side as she sat up while Vivi and Freya were okay with celebrating from afar. We joined them eventually, greeting Dagger with welcome smiles. As confused she is about her current situation, everyone else was just glad that she’s awake and alright.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t last long.

“What is all this ruckus!?” Queen Brahne walked in, still fanning herself and accompanied by Zorn and Thorn. Her clowns tried to get Ellison off the floor. Poor guy was still wrapped in chains and was basically trying to get everyone else’s attention .The initial annoyance on Brahne’s face was immediately replaced by anger when she saw us. “The insolent fools who attacked me in the Red Rose…”

“Don’t think you are without sin!” Freya countered. “We were not just going to lie down as you attempted to destroy my people.”

“And now you try take my daughter as well.”

“She’ll be far safer anywhere else than here.” Zidane said, putting himself between Brahne’s glare and Dagger.

The queen turns to her trusty clown after scanning the entire room. “Hmph. It doesn’t matter anymore. Have you extracted all of the eidolons from her?”

Both clowns nodded. “Yes, we have, Your Majesty!”

“Then what are you waiting for? Take Garnet and throw her in prison!”

This time, it’s Beatrix that comes to cover for the princess. She stood in front of Zidane’s spot and drew her sword. “I won’t allow that.”

Brahne’s expression twisted into a deep snarl. She could have simply broken fan with how tight she was holding it, the whiteness of her knuckles apparent despite how far she is from us. Yet she tried to hide her anger with her soft tone. “Oh? Are you defying me as well?”

Beatrix’s sword lowers a bit, but the resolve was still there. “Your Majesty, it is my sworn duty to protect the princess. I beg you, reconsider. Please do not harm the princess anymore.” She then turns to the rest of our group and nods to the exit behind us. “All of you, leave at once!”

The first to move was Blake, pulling me with him towards the exit. I can’t say I disagree with his decision because of his health. Might be for the best we get closer to the exit in case people start running at us. We’re at a disadvantage because I’m gonna be carrying Blake, meaning I can’t really pull out my sword and fight effectively.

But for some reason, as he’s pulling at me, the air around me started to get thick. It was like being trapped in an enclosed space despite being in an open area. It got harder to breathe. Am I having another episode with my breathing?

Freya moved to take Beatrix’s side, extending her spear to her side to block us off from trying to join them. “I’m staying! Zidane, go! Now!”

“Perhaps one more hand can tip the scales to our favor?”

A new voice joined the fray. It was gentle, but had this commanding tone to it, one that isn’t too familiar. Queen Brahne slightly turns her head as someone waltzes into the room, a man in a silver coat and white hair. If being beside the queen didn’t obviously say he’s a bad guy then the white hair does it. When he stopped beside the queen and looked in my direction, I could feel Blake start to shake.

“Ah, Inoire. If you want to dirty your hands with these fools, then so be it. Get rid of them.” Snapping her fan closed, Queen Brahne stepped out of the room with a flourish of her royal robes

The man called Inoire approached, drawing the sword by his waist as Zorn and Thorn cackled with glee. He then tapped the magic-chain-wrapped Ellison with its blunt side. I thought he was just wondering what was up with him when the chains started to disappear! Did he do that on purpose or did Blake’s magic wear off?

“Fate will never be kind to you at this rate, Mr. Skylark.” Inoire spoke as he pulled up Ellison to his feet. “Since you are our prisoner and you are trying to escape, I have no choice but to punish you for your disobedience.”

“We should really get out of here! Like right now!” Blake hissed, pulling me towards the staircase. Whatever his beef with Blake has to be so big that he’s willing to retreat and be loud about it. Something tells me there’s more to it than just beef…

“Can’t do that, buddy. Whatever HE wants, HE gets.” Ellison chuckled before running at us. He didn’t get far enough when Freya met him in the middle and kept him occupied. But then the silver-coat rushed forward at a surprising speed, passing Freya before she could do anything about it. Beatrix, however, clashed swords with him and stopped him in his tracks.

And it looked like she’s struggling against him! Who is this guy!?

“Steiner,” I could see Beatrix look over her shoulder just a little bit. “Protect the princess. Fight for her sake.”

The two Alexandrians share a second of silence between them, the captain eventually nodding before guiding everyone to the exit. Before I could step down the staircase, I saw Beatrix push Inoire off, and shot a Shock at him to make him backpedal some more. He merely lowered his sword and looked past the general as this big wooly monster emerged from the door. It jumped over Ellison and went on the attack against the Burmecian and her Alexandrian ally. We didn’t get to watch how it turns out when Zidane and Vivi shouted at us to follow them.

Seeing the inside of the secret passageway made me experience vertigo upon looking down. With the stairs going down having no way to prevent falling off from any misstep made me hug the wall closer. And to further complicate things, the first thing we encounter is a spinning platform we have to jump on to in order to get to the rest of the stairs.

Getting the timing right was Zidane’s job at the moment. I kept looking at the platform and the doorway, expecting another monster to come out. But it wasn’t the Bandersnatch that exited to stalk us, it was Ellison and Inoire that came. Both men chose to walk towards us as menacingly as they can. Ellison with his rifle pointed at us and a sick smile on his face. The mystery man just stared at us, hands placed behind him.

“Everyone get on!” Zidane’s voice got me to focus on our escape again. All of us hopped on the spinning platform and it transported us to the other side in a full second. Despite the fast movement that could’ve been dizzying, we all got off just in time for it to spin back.

Everyone flinched when we heard a gunshot, a bullet whizzing in the air until it hits a spot above us. Warning shots. We’re this far now. We’re not gonna stop just because of some flimsy warning shots, so we all kept running while glancing at the stalking twosome above us.

We only got stopped for a moment when a platform gave way to a trio of Type-C black mages. If that wasn’t bad, a Bandersnatch emerged from the previous room and jumped down behind us. Cornered, we were forced to fight.

I stopped the trio in front of us from hitting us with Thunder magic when I made a tall barrier to intercept it. Vivi and Steiner teamed up to fry the Bandersnatch with a Fire Sword slash while Zidane used his athletics to hop on the new platform and attack from behind the Type-Cs. With their backs turned, I made the barrier disappear and used my sword to cut at the nearest one. After clearing out our front, we didn’t have any incentive in taking out the wooly monster behind us, but looking at the damage the knight and his ‘master’ dealt, it looks like we don’t have to worry about it.

Bullets came our direction the closer we got to the lower levels. I could see them move past the spinning platform, but it looked like they were taking their time going after us. Ellison’s shots weren’t even pinging close, just in our general direction. What are they planning?

We were just a few steps away from the bottom when we had to slow down. Running down stairs, as much as helpful gravity is with our effort, we were starting to tire out. All the fighting and running we’ve done all day from Cleyra and here is going to kill me if the monsters don’t get me first… But anyway, we got there and Zidane starts to slow down, looking back to see if we have anyone pursuing us. Following his lead, I noticed we were missing one of us.

“Where’s Steiner?” Zidane asked all of us.

Since we were all just going in one direction, we all looked behind us for an answer. I expected him to be just walking down behind us, but seeing him tumble down terrified me. He landed in a heap at the bottom of the staircase as everyone else went to check if he was alright. What they failed to see was another Bandersnatch hop down to attack them, separating Blake and I from the others. I say ‘another’ because this one looked fresh. And because the one we wounded was stalking down the stairs.

Thinking I could give the others some time, I stopped the wounded Bandersnatch with a tall barrier. Seeing that I’m stalling for them, Zidane is the first to strike by launching himself on the monster’s back, digging into its with fast stabs from his dagger while Vivi froze its dirty paws on the ground to keep it still. Once Steiner was given a healthy dose of White Magic, he managed to get back on his feet and take a swipe at the monster’s leg, severely cutting it. A horrible case of burns was Vivi’s second contribution to the fight, causing most of its fur to burn with a Fira after Zidane had jumped off. It desperately tried to stop the fire by rolling around, which wasn’t a good idea with the small space we all had, but it didn’t care when it wildly hit both me and Blake.

I tried to push Blake away to minimize the damage he’d take, but it only made me an easier target to hit. That’s second time that day I had been swept off my feet, which was bad because so far none of them have been with romantic intentions. If that wasn’t bad enough, my back slid on the floor until there was no more floor to slide on. The sudden disappearance of any hard surface and gravity taking a hold of me got drew a panicked scream from deep in my throat. Just one glance over my shoulder only showed me the dark depths the architects of Alexandria’s castle did not build over. I never imagined my life would end over a bottomless pit.

My scream hitched to a stop when I felt my something grab my arm. I look up and see Blake looking at me, his face contorted into a pained expression as he tried to keep his hold on me. Relief came over me at that very second when I realized I was still alive.

“Damn it, you’re so heavy!” Blake said through gritted teeth. Thanks for ruining the moment, hero.

“Sh-Shut up and pull!” I shouted at him as I tried to get leverage on the wall in front of me. Even Nero chirped to urge Blake into action.

“With what!? I’m one-handed at the moment!” Then he turned his head to the fighting in the side. “Someone help the injured man!”

“Gotcha!” Zidane then came in and took a spot beside the injured teenager, using both hands to get a hold of me. With their combined efforts they were able to pull me up to safety. All three of us started laughing after my brief brush with death. But it didn’t last long.

“They’re down there! Capture them all!” Voices of various women running down the stairs from the top of the entrance.

The echo of a gunshot got our attention back to our escape plan. The burned Bandersnatch was still moving after the damage Vivi put on it and was now trying to get off its side while Steiner and Vivi fended off the other one. Dagger didn’t have a weapon on her, probably taken away from her when she was put under Kuja’s spell, and was forced to resort to a support role with her white magic. Despite their wounds, they are still fighting as ferociously as if they weren’t wounded. Blake was eyeing the exit just ahead of us just a single staircase away, the one leading to the trap used by Zorn and Thorn.

After infusing one more spell on the knight’s sword, Steiner struck down the already hurt Bandersnatch with a Thundara Slash, the air around the sword crackling with electricity-based magic right before it connected against the monster’s neck. It let out one more howl before Steiner wedged the blade deeper, which was enough to put down the Bandersnatch. Steiner didn’t have time to relax when Ellison made his presence known once again by shooting at the now dead monster, just inches away from the knight’s head. Vivi took his and Dagger’s hand before running at our direction. But before we could make any progress, the last Bandersnatch jumped the gap to the circle platform that leads to our exit, effectively blocking us. Sure there’s six of us and we could dogpile on it, we just didn’t have enough time to contend with it.

Just as it is about to give an aggressive howl, something had landed on top of its skull, and instead of a howl it gave out a yelp. When it fell down into a slump on the floor, we finally noticed what had landed in front of us.

“Freya!?” Vivi was the first to realize that the dragon knight had dispatched the monster blocking our way.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you back, but what happened to ‘I’m staying’?” Zidane questioned her just as we reached her side.

Freya stumbled off the dead body of the Bandersnatch holding her arm and spear with a brave face. “Beatrix insisted that I follow you after a brief exchange with the white-haired newcomer. More like she demanded. She said, ‘I will fight to atone for the sins of my queen and my kingdom alone if I have to. Just make sure that the princess escapes safely.’ There was no way I would refuse her of honoring her wishes just like that.”

“I would really give her praise if she didn’t kick our ass so many times.” Zidane chuckled. “So you’re actually coming with us?”

“Absolutely. We have to stick together now--”

“Wait, what!?” Blake spoke up, trying to push through to the wounded dragon knight to get a clear answer. The sudden concern did not go unnoticed by the others. “...I mean, is Beatrix sure? Does she have a death wish?”

“If she has to face monsters and her own army, she said she will, whether it is a wise choice or not.” She answered.

I could clearly see the gears turning in Blake’s head when he turned away and walked back to me with a deep frown on his face. His mouth moved silently as he looked around like he conversing to himself. As if on cue, he looked at Steiner. “And you. You’re not going to help YOUR general? You’re just gonna leave her hanging?”

“I swore an oath to protect the princess and fight for her sake. Beatrix is not just a regular general. She is the strongest person in the land to ever wield a sword.”

Blake was trying to figure out what to say next, each attempt stopped when he stumbled over his words. He gave up after the eighth attempt as his knees started to buckle. I managed to catch him before he lost his balance. With his injuries starting to pile up, it’s going to be a matter of time before he passes out. Dagger noticed this and occupied Blake’s other side to help. The sight of his injuries made the princess gasp, but had to move past it to start focusing on her white magic. Dagger’s magic came like a wave of light over Blake’s body. I expected Blake to feel more relieved as the magic passed through him. I did feel him shudder after a second of it. His wounds started to close, his breath shaky as the bruises turning back to its normal color once again, and strangely enough others parts weren’t affected and remained bruised. At least this is improving his condition. He just leaned into me quietly, as if trying to hide the pain into my shoulder.

“We should hurry.” Freya urged us to move. “We can all rest once we are out of the castle.”

“Let’s take the Gargant. It can take us to Doctor Tot in Treno and be safe there.” Dagger suggested.

“Gar...gant?” Both Zidane and Vivi repeated curiously. They didn’t have time to wonder more about it as Dagger started leading us to the exit. Freya was kind enough to help me with Blake, taking his right side while I picked up Nero from the ground, to make it easier to catch up with the others.

Shouts of the soldiers closing in behind us made me look over to see how close they are getting. They were rushing down at a considerable speed without tripping all over themselves, their reinforcements were stuck at the spinning platform at the top. But what was concerning was the sight of their silvercoat floating down the middle, ignoring the stairs and instead let gravity help him down before walking towards us again with his hands still at his back and eyes watching the floor. It would’ve been majestic if he was on our side. This guy is definitely not normal.

When we caught up with the others, Zidane was about to cross the room with the rising wall trap. Of course, before he could even get past it, it came up and blocked his way. Before we could even consider going back the other way, the second trap behind us rose and finally caged us in. The two clowns responsible for this finally emerged on the floor above us, cackling with glee for making the trap work twice.

“They fell for it again!” Zorn laughed.

“Really stupid, they are!” Thorn pointed at us as they continued to have fun in our expense.

“Try saying to our faces down here, you bastards!” Zidane challenged them, only for the clowns’ laughter to grow louder.

“We may be bastards…”

“But clever, are we.” Their enjoyment plus the arriving reinforcements of soldiers, along the casually walking Inoire right behind them, was a bad sign for us. Fighting them off would be a massive mistake even if there were more of us compared to how this is actually going to happen. If things were indeed changing, this would be a bad time for the world to suddenly make things worse for us.

“Well, well, guess who’s going back to prison.” One of the soldiers hit the bars of the trap with her sword. She removed her helmet as she took a spot at the front, her glare behind those wild red fringes going straight to Blake. He saw her and instantly got behind me. “At least this time you have more friends to be with. You won’t be lonely in screaming in pain after today.”

What is with this girl...?

Zorn and Thorn suddenly yelped and cried in pain, deeper voices exerting effort replaced the giddy laughter. When both clowns were thrown off their stage and landed on the soldiers converging behind the separating wall behind us, we knew we were saved.

“Hey, what’s up!?” Marcus looked down from the platform Zorn used to occupy.

“That was fast!” Vivi exclaimed. Yeah, I didn’t know the travel time going to the Evil Forest and going back was around an hour. But after what’s been going on it felt definitely longer than an hour.

“Zidane, are you alright?” Another voice asked from where Thorn was positioned. When he looked down, Zidane brightened with a wide grin.

“Blank!?” He couldn’t keep his excitement from seeing his formerly petrified friend back to normal. “You’re alright!”

“Pretty much. Still feel a bit stiff though…” Blank replied, trying to stretch his joints.

“Someone stop them!” Zorn shrieked at the soldiers, pointing wildly at the two thieves helping us.

“Time to go! You guys can use the gargant downstairs.” Marcus told us as he deactivated one side of the trap, giving us a free pass to our ride out of here.

“We’ll keep everyone else occupied. Have to distract the ladies somehow.” For some reason, I can’t help but think that Blank just winked at us underneath that bandana of his.

“Man, I love you guys! We owe you big time! C’mon, let’s get outta here!” With the brief reunion of the Tantalus thieves now done, Zidane lead us down to where the gargant is.

“Ms. Forsyth,” As we were leaving, another voice gets my attention. I look back and see that man finally reach us. The soldiers parted like the red sea as he walked over to the front. When he looked up from the floor, his green eyes shined as he looked at me with a gentle smile. “I will be seeing you and your friend very soon.”

A chill ran down my spine. It felt like he had just stabbed me despite sounding so polite with his ominous warning. Maybe Blake has the right reaction for this guy. Even if he’s polite, there’s this underlying ominous tone his words had. And how did he know my name anyway? That makes it even more concerning...

I would have asked him that very question if Blake and Freya didn’t drag me away.


	37. On The Rocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting an eidolon

Of Lies and Fantasies  
Chapter 36: On The Rocks

\- Blake -

After spending fifteen minutes being interrogated by that enigma they call Inoire the day before, his words were more haunting than the message he left me behind that ticket Meguro gave me. Seeing him come out from nowhere and get past Beatrix was more than enough to tell me that this guy is a nightmare. He can fight, he's nice, something about his deep voice was menacing even if he was just telling the weather, and has magical abilities if his healing was any indication. This Inoire guy is definitely the kind of trouble I never want to introduce in my life.

Just hearing him address me made me want to run out of there. Seeing him float down behind us in pursuit put the fear of God in me. But at least we have a wall to separate us from him. Let's be honest though, that wall shouldn't matter if he can float down ten flights of spiral stairs and just walk at us at his own pace. And that warning he said to Alyssa? Clear warning for a future meeting, and a future meeting with him is the last thing I want.

My mind stopped thinking about the silver coat wearing man when I heard an echoing groan above me. The gargant had been summoned and was already pulling into the station when we rejoined the others. As it ate from the box lowered in front of him, we all stepped into the carriage attached to neutral monster. At least not everything in this underground passage is not trying to kill, unlike upstairs when humans and monsters and dolls had it out for us.

Surprisingly, it looked like its carriage could accommodate everyone. About half of our party had gotten in it except for Dagger, Zidane, and Steiner. Alexandria's princess was still looking at the doorway we had just passed through, hearing the noises of fighting and shouting where we were just trapped a few seconds ago.

"I...I don't know what to do anymore…" She said, uncertain about what's happening in her life all of a sudden.

"Why do you think they stayed behind?" Zidane asked her as he put a hand on his chest. "Yeah, they're fighting for you, but also, they know, deep down inside, that they have to fight! Beatrix, Marcus, and Blank...Sometimes, you can't think everything out. You have to listen to your heart."

"I would usually disagree with this monkey," Steiner sided up with the thief, "but this time I have to agree with Zidane."

After one more look to the doorway to the castle's basement, Dagger relented and joined us, finally ready to leave home again. And good timing in convincing her as well because the feeding box had just gotten out of its reach, with Steiner and Zidane hopping in and closing the door behind them just as it was about to move. Everyone was told that we were going to lay low in Treno for a while to figure out what we should do next.

Of course, things didn't go smoothly as they thought when the gargant stopped suddenly. The carriage rocked back and forth a few times after, but we were all generally okay despite the lack of seatbelts. Alyssa had her arm in front of me, acting like a seatbelt for me as I held Nero in both my arms. Everyone else started standing up after making sure it's safe to move, wondering what's causing the hold up.

"Not again…" I groaned.

A silhouette began to approach, making the gargant move backwards. The carriage might as well move slightly because I could see parts of the gargant start to shake in fear. Dagger and Steiner knew what this is all about when they started to disembark the carriage. I would be eager to jump off and join them in confronting that massive snake/worm if only my everything didn't hurt. That crazy soldier really went to town on me. Now I'm more afraid of being alone in a room with a red-haired girl than being struck by lightning. Fighting anything is not my concern at the moment.

Zidane followed Dagger, trying to get her back into the gargant's carriage, while Vivi and Freya went out to see what was the commotion all about. Only Alyssa remained and she was staring at the emerging monster slithering toward what it thought was its prey. Dirty green scales emerged from the shadows of the underground passage, two large tusk-like horns curved upward to the front of its face, its tan-ish underbelly had four red protruding spikes on its sides.

The Ralvuimago. Another snake-like creature slumming it underground in deep Mist. And, ugh...that name is gonna be so bothersome, same with the Ralvurahva. Why does it even have this kind of name anyway? Is it some sort of reference to a snake-like deity in some third-world country? Speaking of which, I'm not really sure if this is the Ralvurahva evolved into a worse monster for us or its mate. Whatever it is, it's hungry for some gargant and we don't want to have our ride eaten.

"You stay here, alright?" Alyssa told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Whatever happens, don't jump on that thing's back."

"What am I, crazy?" I retorted. That got me a dire stare from the brunette as she drew her sword. "Okay, point taken." She paused for a second, making sure I was serious about staying put.

"Before I forget..." She turns back to me and removes the sling she had around her neck and helps put my broken wrist in it gently.

"Thanks. Stay safe." I look up to her as she stands, one of her hands landing on my shoulder with a brief comforting squeeze before joining the others. Honestly, fighting is out of the question. And if she needed numbers, they had enough. Instead of the traditional 3 members this boss fight has, we have five.

Five party members at this stage. This is not how it's supposed to happen. We're only supposed to get this many people when we reach the Outer Continent. Now we're exceeding party member count before Dagger gets her most important ability as a white mage. Definitely not how it's supposed to be paced. Is this because of our presence? Perhaps we did something that looked unimportant but actually affected the world to line up these events to this particular point in time? And what about after this? What else is different?

There's nothing I can do to undo the changes to these things. I don't even know what caused them! And it's not like I can time travel to that point and prevent it from happening. I have knowledge of the future, not a Delorean waiting in a random garage. And that future knowledge is being compromised before my very eyes and I can't do anything about it.

It feels frustrating knowing that, but I feel so worn out and hurt that I can't think of how to react to it. Staring out of the carriage as the others ran around the giant green snake monster, hitting it when they could and dodging it whenever it would slither at them or swing its head/tail at them, the thought of finding out what caused these changes is making my head ache. Plenty of reasons why this happened and most of them I don't know how to prove. It'll only drive me crazy thinking about the possibilities of where we screwed up or indirectly affected the world.

Having compromised future knowledge is as useful as second-hand information. You're not too sure which ones are true and which one is exaggerated/untrue. I obviously can't rely on what I know anymore because of this. Such complications become bigger and bigger problems for me. It's like the world thinks I need more on my plate.

I might as well consider how big of a pain in the ass this is to keep a secret from the other protagonists. I wonder how they would react if they find out that Alyssa and I know what happens to them? Will they think we're joking or will they also feel frustrated that we hid this info from them from the start? Surely their reactions will be divided and interesting.

But that's all worst case scenario stuff. What do I do until then? Finding a way home seems as tricky as getting here. I'd love to find a way of making sure story events happen as originally intended, and with all the magic this world has I'm sure I can stumble upon one way of doing just that. It's finding the right place to stumble on that's tricky. Tagging along with the others is pretty much my go-to activity until said stumbling happens, which isn't helpful since it is pretty much waiting for anything to happen. Good or bad, whatever happens that can give me an opportunity- as long as it doesn't require me to kill another person- I'll consider doing anything.

Another look at the fighting below made me realize I must have been not paying attention. The Ralvuimago is already reeking from the looks of it. One of its body spikes had been cut, its left tusk was bent out of shape, and its light underbelly had a massive burn mark. Zidane was sliding down its back, the blades of The Ogre cutting the scaled surface with each spin he made, while it tried to attack this purple wall standing between it and the others. Vivi found an opening when it reeled back for another face-smashing lunge and was blasted in the face with a Thundara for its efforts.

Its cries echoed throughout the tunnel and was punctuated by the monster's head crashing down to the ground, Mist spreading upon its landing. Everyone was tense at first when it twitched twice. After that they all started to relax once it absolutely stopped moving.

"Is it dead now?" I ask after standing up to see if they did beat it. After a few affirmatives, I wave them over to get the show on the road. No need to dwell on things when we can move the story along. "Let's get going then!"

Eventually they get back on the carriage, Freya just jumped in with Vivi in her arms to make things go faster. The gargant sways for a second once we were all seated until it moves forward slowly at first. It picks up speed once we get past the 'dead' Ralvuimago. Alyssa is the only one looking behind us, her face looking very worried before adjusting in her seat.

"Maybe we should've made sure it was dead," she mutters. Freya, who was seated right next to her, picked up on it and shook her head.

"We've already wasted time fighting off that monster. Brahne's soldiers might have decided to run down here to pursue us." She said as she gave a brief look behind us.

"They wouldn't have gotten to us at this rate. We're like 3 minutes deep into the tunnel from the Alexandrian entrance before we stopped. At the speed this gargant is going, two minutes would be a hell of a time for them to catch up to." It wasn't the most accurate explanation I could come up with, but it felt like they got what I meant. "But Freya is right. We had to keep going and it probably wouldn't matter if that monster was just knocked out or dead."

When Alyssa whipped her head to me with a frown on her face. Did she not like my explanation? Like I said, it's not the best but it was passable. Killing it would only give us more problems than solutions. The Ralvuimago is supposed to get back up and go after us anyway. As much as I want to not crash into Pinnacle Rock, it has to happen. Having less injuries would be nice.

Plus, it still feels like my head was swimming underwater. Leaning back and resting against the carriage wasn't as comfortable as sleeping in a car driving on a dirt road. Sure my shoulders and head were out of the carriage, but it was okay for now. At least it wasn't as bad as sleeping in a car; there's not window for my face to smash against.

But a hand on the back of my neck makes me sit up. "Careful. You don't want to lose your head." Alyssa was helping me adjust in my seat and it's making me feel like a toddler being put in a high chair.

"I feel fine." My words are betrayed by the sharp spark of pain going up my back. I was trying my best not to yelp as Alyssa helped me straighten up. "Ugh...okay, not really fine. I should lie down. On my belly, because my back hurts. Every part of it. Ow…"

It would have been a calming ride, what with it being a vehicle going in a nice speed in a single lane with nothing to impede us. All I need is a pillow, my mp3 playing music in my ear, and a glass window for my head to thump against every few seconds to make this a perfect ride. I guess nuzzling against Nero's feathers would be a close second if there's no pillow around. But then again, we're not going to have that comfy of a ride in just a minute.

"Arriving under Doctor Tot's observatory should only take a few more minutes at this rate," Steiner noted at the speed of the gargant. When it went a little faster, it made the knight hum. "Hmm…? Well it seems like it wants to arrive there sooner."

That very statement made me hold on to my seat. Alyssa had taken a spot beside me and had decided to do the same silently. The others were too calm at the moment to realize that they missed something, one that I warned them about but was ignored. Dagger is the first to realize something was up.

"No, it's not like that! Look!" She pointed behind us. Everyone else looked and slightly jumped in surprise when they could see the massive green snake they had just fought is now trying to catch up to us.

"Damn it, it's chasing us!" Zidane exclaimed.

"It didn't like us denying it of its food!" I obviously said.

"We should've made sure - hmph!" Rolling my eyes, I covered her mouth before she could finish that thought. Now wasn't the time to gloat, but it was good that no one else heard it when they were busy holding on to the carriage. Anyone with easily removable headwear, like Vivi, had to hold them down while making sure they themselves wouldn't fly out of the monster-driven vehicle.

Zidane looked around the carriage in the hopes that there's something he can do to stop the gargant or delay the Ralvuimago. "We're gonna pass Treno soon if we don't stop soon!" Unfortunately, we didn't have any items worth throwing overboard to wound/stop the monster form coming at us. All we could do is just strap in and hope for the best.

"I think that was Treno." Vivi pointed to what looked like a station that we had just passed a second ago. Hard to see when our ride is basically disobeying gargant travel speed laws.

"Damn it! We can't just jump off at this speed." Zidane worriedly stated. We actually can try that, but it would definitely hurt. A lot. "Again, not the time, Blake."

The dark tunnel of Gargan Roo started to become a shade lighter than the mostly-black-ish color it had in between Alexandria and Treno, almost brown-like. Our vehicle is now operating at a roller-coaster-like speed, which was problematic because it wasn't safe for us. The gargant didn't care though as long as it was far away from the broken tusks of the Ralvuimago. Concerned shouts about the speed, the tunnel, and the gargant filled my ears as I tried hold on to my seat and keep Nero from flying away. I felt something cross over my chest. A brief look made me realize Alyssa was securing me against my seat with her arm. Looking up at her now, she was bracing herself for impact well before the possibility of it being announced, eyes already closed and attempting to relax her breathing.

There's something about seeing her now after being trapped in Alexandria's dungeon for what felt like days. Sure it was a relief to be out of there, but seeing her panic and feeling her struggle to carry me made me feel grateful I knew her. We might have not been friends before all this, but she's the closest one I got to one here now. So I extended my only able arm across her and tried to get a semblance of grip on the carriage.

"Everyone hang on tight!" Zidane's announcement made me turn away from where the gargant was heading.

This might hurt. A lot.

-OLaF-

If waking up being carried by Alyssa to the numbing of various bruises and muscles was a bad wake-up call, being in what might as well be a car crash was double the pain of the torture sessions Alexandria's soldier put me through. I'm absolutely sure this is well above my pain threshold. But when I opened my eyes and groaned out loud to tell the world how every part of my body ached, I was somewhat surprised any part of my limbs felt mind-numbing pain. I had to check if my fingers and toes could still move.

...Okay, still capable of finger movement, meaning most of my limbs should be okay.

With my confidence at my continued survival growing, I tried to take a guess where I was. I knew the gargant had crashed and got us to Pinnacle Rocks, but where exactly where I landed after the fact is what got me wondering. Scanning the immediate area in front of me made me balk. The area didn't make any sense. I could see the ruined carriage in various sizes, but it looked like they were hanging off the ceiling. Then there were massive vines wrapping around the areas not covered by stalactites. Did I fly off our ride before it crashed outside of the tunnel? How far did I land? Where are the others? Where's Nero?

And then I realize, upon trying to move my head, which sent a terrible ache up my neck, that I was just upside down, positioned in the opposite side from where I was seated earlier with my legs hanging off the carriage.

Sighing, I tried to move and readjust myself, however knowing my body can move and trying to actually move the whole thing are two very different ideas. When I tried to shift my shoulders so I could pull myself out of my current position, I tensed up when my shoulders flared up painfully, leading to more pain due to the muscles being pressed together. It was an agonizing that only stopped when I let myself go limp.

So much for the healing of Dagger's magic earlier. Our crash here just made it worse for me. Instead of moving, I just groaned out loud in the hopes of attracting attention. All I got was the ambient sound of midday insects going about their own business and running water. It's pretty calming, but not very helpful at the moment. A good change of pace after being trapped in the dark corners under Alexandria and lying unconscious against grimy cobblestone, away from the sounds of leather and knuckles cracking against flesh and bone.

Just as I was starting to relax, something hit a small spot on my forehead. I instantly look up despite the pain to see if I was going to die right here, right now. All that dread is washed away when I register the black feathers of Nero slightly brushing against my face, the little chocobo looking down at me with a slight tilt of his head.

"Oh, thank god it's just you." I exhale the breath I was holding. Nero's 'kweh' assured me that I would be okay for a while longer. Surprisingly it's the little thing that I've been carrying for days that finds me first. Not that I mind. I would love to be found by Nero more than any hungry beast prowling the area.

"Nero, where did you- Blake!" A feminine voice interrupts my trailing thoughts. Nero jumps up on my chest and flaps his wings at the newcomer. This person helps adjust my feet off the carriage remains to make it easier for me to move. A hand touches crawls under my shoulder, another holding my left arm as it tried to pull me up, the alert chocobo never leaving my arm as I held it between an arm and my chest. Once I was settled where my feet used to be, I finally got to see who is helping me.

"Dagger?" I asked. Not the person I expected to see first.

"Are you okay?" The princess asked. "Everyone else is awake now. They are taking a look around the area to see if we are safe."

"I would complain that none of you tried to help me while I was unconscious, but I'm too tired and too hurt to actually do that." I groaned as I leaned back on my seat.

"Alyssa tried to move you, but apparently she could not handle your unconscious reactions. Her words, not mine." She explained. I wouldn't move anyone caught in a brutal accidental too if I had the chance to witness one. "Let me heal you."

A warm feeling washed over me briefly. I could feel my muscles relax and some of my bruises ache less thanks to Dagger's magic. But when I tried to get up, a sharp pain from all over my body overwhelmed me, taking me back down to my seat. Trying again only got the same reaction, causing Dagger to knit her eyebrows in concern.

"T-Tell me, are you tired? I only say that because I think your magic is not packing that much juice. Ow…that stings…" I hissed after going for a third attempt, trying to keep back any expletive from getting out of my mouth due to the discomfort I was feeling.

"No...Aside from a few aches from the crash, I feel normal." She replied with a hint of uncertainty. There was a part of her voice that something I said had bothered her, which was further proven when she became silent. Might as well stay here and keep an eye on the carriage remains since moving is that damaging to my health. Plus, this could be our home base for a few more minutes until we get bothered by a certain summoning spirit.

"Your bruises…" I look over and see that my back had her attention. Yeah, it's not a pretty sight apparently.

"They're pretty much the worst injuries I've sustained in this journey so far. Not that I like to keep track. Hard not to though."

"Let me try healing you again." She puts her hands over my back, her gloves hovering just a centimeter away from my exposed skin. The wave of magic comes again and that same feeling of relief washes over me. But a few seconds later parts of my back tense up and spasm painfully to the point where my left hand grabs the closest thing and shares the pain. The problem with that was Dagger was sitting closely, making my hand land on her knee and hold it as hard as I could. She didn't shout, but I could tell I had hurt her a bit.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to do that. It just got overwhelming for a second there." I said while withdrawing my hand.

She merely shakes her head, not offended by my sudden action after shrugging off my momentary loss of control. "It's fine. I know you didn't mean to do it." Her eyes goes back to my back and an inquisitive hum follows. "A handful of them seemed to get better, but majority of them are still there."

"Better than nothing, I suppose."

Dagger leans back and closes her eyes. "This doesn't make any sense…"

I put my injured hand on her shoulder and tried my best to offer some comfort. "You're probably still tired after waking up. I don't know what kind of magic they used to put you under, but it's probably messing with your abilities. Don't beat yourself up too much about it."

She nodded, leaning into the seat for a more comforting position. I assume her head had a lot of thoughts running around them, especially after what happened in the castle along with her white magic not working effectively , so I just decided to let her have her inner monologue time while I comforted the anxious chocobo now settled on my lap. It was a couple minutes of calming silence. I could use more moments like this.

Looking forward from here game-events-wise, there's not gonna be any time for relaxation until we reach the Outer Continent. Well, the journey underground towards the Outer Continent shouldn't be that stressful since we're just walking through caves. The only noteworthy parts are the ones before we get in the caves anyway. Everything should be smooth sailing from there.

The woman beside me moved to her feet, her eyes looking at something to our right. Any question I had about where she's going was answered when I saw Alyssa and Zidane walking towards us. Both of them looked fine, but Alyssa looked like she was favoring her left arm.

"We can see part of Lindblum castle from the distance, but it's going to be quite the walk." Zidane informed Dagger as she met them halfway.

Alyssa immediately went to my side upon seeing me awake, a question about my current health was the first thing she mentions. So I answer, "I'm less than fine actually. Dagger tried to heal me, but for some reason it didn't work. Perhaps she's still feeling the effects of Kuja's spell…"

The brunette had the same confused look Dagger had earlier, but decided to think about it later when she dug into her own pockets. "Here, try a potion."

I gladly accepted the item and drank all of it. The moment I felt its cold contents pour down my throat, I started to feel better. Parts of my back wasn't as tense as before and it made easier for me to breathe and move. Sure my body still ached when I tried to move, but it wasn't as bad as earlier. Alyssa helped me up to my feet, a less painful attempt that didn't knock me down, she kept me still with an arm around my shoulders when I started to stumble.

"This is reminding me of the time I tripped while running around in the house and busted my forehead open." There was a hint of a smile at the edges of her lips, her eyes giving of a glint after dusting me off and looking away. "I was dizzy and crying and I was bleeding a bit after, but what scared me was my grandma. She was so shocked that she started scolding me for being so careless, but she did so while helping me wipe away the blood."

"That's...weird?" All I could think about was how strange that looks. Being yelled at while being treated. It's like a doctor badmouthing their patient before they administer the anesthesia for their surgery.

"It was scary at first, but looking back on it, she was just as scared as I was. I mean, her own daughter just died and now her youngest granddaughter gets hurt. I'd be a hell of lot worried if that happens too. But after going to the hospital and getting me all stitched up, she baked me some delicious cookies. And that's how it'd go every time I get hurt. Some scolding, treatment, and sweets."

"Didn't know you're the type of girl to get hurt a lot."

"I don't look the part!" She chuckled. "The best injury I had was dislocating my shoulder while I was taking self-defense classes. I landed wrong after a takedown and it hurt like hell. My teacher pulled me aside to check how bad it was, but he actually helped relocate it." I grimaced at the thought of that. I'd seen it done in movies, but that still sounds and looks painful.

I waved her off, stopping her from telling me more. Relocating dislocated shoulders are a bad mental image. "Okay, stop it! Enough of that! Thanks for the potion and whatever. We should get going." I could tell she's amused by my reaction when a slight grin forms on her lips as I walk past her.

"Be careful, okay? There's a lot of uneven territory around here." I hear Zidane warn me.

"Same goes to you guys. Crashing out here probably hurt you guys too." I pointed out before giving Alyssa another look. She's holding her arm a bit. "Looks like you have a useless arm at the moment."

"It's just a bit numb from the crash. It'll get better…. Eventually. See?" She lifted her bad arm with her okay one and tried to move it. All it did was show me she struggled clench her hand into a fist.

"That's not a dislocated shoulder, is it?" That grin of hers comes back momentarily as she shook her head. "Keep working on it, champ." I encouraged her with a pat on the back as we joined the thief and the princess. I was digging something out my pocket while the two were trying to consider their options. I hated to interrupt their moment together, but it's not like they're going to separate dramatically like last time, so I tapped the blond on his shoulder.

"What's up, Blake?" He takes a glance at me over his shoulder, pulling back when he saw my closed fist a bit too close.

"Here." I shake my hand. He stares at it dumbly momentarily and hears the shaking inside. He finally gets his hand up and I dump the coins in them. When he gives me this confused expression over the coins, I finally explain. "That's a hundred gil. Good news, that soldier I shoved is still alive. Bad news, there's no way in hell I'm apologizing after what she did to me. So you only get half of the bet."

It takes a second for him to get what I meant, but when he did, he chuckles and shakes his head as he accepts the gil. "Didn't think you'd take that seriously."

"I may be injury-prone, but none of my injuries have affected my head enough that I wouldn't remember any bets." I tapped my head. Been awhile since I had a concussion, so I'm confident that my memory is unaffected as far as I can remember. "So, how are we getting out of this dump?"

"Freya said she saw an opening over towards the west. She said it'll lead along the mountain towards Lindblum." The blond pointed towards the side of the mountain going away from where we had crashed through. I couldn't see the part of the castle from where I'm standing. They probably scouted the area at a higher vantage point using the tall trees. "And so far, there's not a lot of monsters prowling the area. So that's good news."

"Let's try not to jinx ourselves for now. There's still Mist around here." Alyssa noted.

Dagger was looking towards the direction Zidane mentioned, but she looked away towards another direction. "But...should we go to Lindblum?"

"Unfortunately, that is the closest place we can see from here." Freya landed near our group and pointed this out. "If Treno is your destination, you will need to travel for more than a day to get there from where we are."

The presence of Freya made me uneasy. She wasn't supposed to be here. The dragon knight is supposed to be with Beatrix trying to fight off the monsters Zorn and Thorn releases in the castle and she stays there until the next disc. Now that she's here, there might be something that prevented her to stay. Freya still fought beside Beatrix, that I'm sure. What made her go with us?

As if debating internally if she should go to where we should logically go, she turns to the last person to arrive in our group. Steiner had just reported that the perimeter is safe and that we should move now that everyone is up and about. However, Dagger didn't want to move at the moment and wanted his advice, which was saying something since he hasn't been worth getting advice from this entire-

OW!

"Stop muttering." Alyssa warned me through her teeth.

"Your Highness, as trusted and well-meaning Doctor Tot is, it would be best for us to go to Lindblum and seek shelter under Regent Cid's protection." Steiner advised. "What if the queen goes after us after escaping from her clutches? Surely, the Regent would help us in this time of need. We can think of what to do next after sharing what had just happened with him."

Another person not supposed to be here. The persistent and loyal knight, Steiner. Like Freya, he's supposed to be battling for Dagger's escape in the castle. He stays back and help Beatrix and Freya to hold back the black mages and monsters so Her Highness can remain safe as she made her way to Treno, which doesn't happen because they crash into Pinnacle Rocks. Unlike Freya's circumstances, I may have an idea why he changed his mind. Thinking about it now, the connection almost seemed obvious.

Our first attempt to break out of prison may have played a part with it. Seeing the queen order Dagger's execution pushed him to intervene and question Brahne herself. When she was dismissive, he decided to fight. Even if he failed, he realized his loyalty has come into question by his own morals. That time in the cage probably gave him enough time to think about it. Now that he can act, he's acting to stay and protect Dagger.

Speaking of which, his thoughtful suggestion was actually enough to convince Dagger to make Lindblum our next destination. Besides, the princess's mentor lives in a city filled to the brim with criminals. There's going to be a few restless criminals brave enough to get to Dagger if they know where she is just for the right price. And that Doctor Tot's tower wouldn't be able to hold all of us in it.

Not even two steps towards the 'exit' Freya had seen, a figure appeared in front of us. It looked like an old man with the longest beard I've seen in this world so far. He was sitting in the air with his legs folded and a staff also floating closeby. Everyone was already pointing their swords and spears while Alyssa and I stood back a step. They really can't fight a spirit right now though, but I might as well step aside if they do try.

'Wh-who are you!?" Vivi asked.

"My name is Ramuh…" The spirit answered in a particularly drawn out voice. It only takes Dagger a few seconds to realize how important this is for her.

"I've seen your name in a book about summoning magic… You must be Ramuh, the Thunder God!"

The now identified spirit nodded and swept a hand towards us. "I sensed an odd presence nearby and found a summoner and her friends where it is located, yet your potential seems to be blocked." The mere mention of he being a summoner brought about a few confused looks from anyone in the group that's of this world.

"It must be that mystery man that the queen has at her side that did this. The one who forced you into a deep slumber." Steiner theorized. It could be possible, but her potential has been blocked since the beginning of the game, her entire Summon abilities were greyed out. With her summons being taken forcefully, it is all just a coincidence that she could summon now after that kind of magical trauma.

"Summoners have the ability to call on spirits and creatures from other worlds called eidolons to aid them." Ramuh started to explain. "They only follow the orders of their summoners. It has been a while since I felt one's power before. Many have died for this kind of power and it seems the time is past for such a struggle to come once again."

...That's an odd warning. I could have sworn this is the part where Dagger suffers a guilt trip for letting her power be taken and used to destroy Cleyra.

"If what we heard is true, then your mother holds a number of powerful beings, ready to destroy her enemies in just a blink of an eye." Freya said, her tone grave.

"And if they're so powerful, there's no way we can fight them." Vivi added.

"If only we were more powerful…" Dagger lamented. She looks over to the spirit again, his presence giving her an idea. "If only I could use summon magic. I beg of you, please help me!"

"And what will stop you from using my power to cause destruction?" The spirit asked as he transformed from its mild-mannered grandfather form to a menacing elder with a much longer beard and a staff that's overflowing with thunder magic. Everyone had to take a step back in case they get hit by a stray bolt. Yet Dagger stood firm, not intimidated by the spirit's new form.

"I was afraid of my power before, but not anymore!" She declared.

Ramuh nodded and changed back to his not-so-threatening form. He then began to explain the challenge he had to Dagger: to find parts of him around Pinnacle Rocks, get parts of the 'Hero's Story' from said parts and piece them together. If she can do that to his satisfaction, he will agree to be her eidolon.

Upon their agreement of her objectives and where to go after getting all of the parts, their challenge is set as the old man disappeared and we were all left with the sound of the river coursing past us towards the mountain. Zidane is more ready to go out there and find Ramuh for the story parts, Vivi also sharing his desire to help the princess. There were some cautious warnings coming from Steiner, who did not easily believe that Ramuh is an actual eidolon and argued why they should do its challenge, while Freya told her to watch out in case it is a trickster spirit.

I rolled my eyes. Freya and Steiner were being ridiculous, but then no one got killed by being overly cautious so far. I'm only accepting this whole thing because I know what happens next. But in reality, no one would simply trust an old man with promises of power. That's just a way to prove people are gullible.

"Maybe we should split up." I hear Alyssa suggest beside me. I pull away from her and basically look at her as if she had just said something stupid. Because she did.

"You know that's how people in large groups get killed, right?" I told her.

Freya tried to interject. "So far the area looks devoid of monsters-"

"’So far’ is the operative term there. There's still Mist here and monsters can pop up when we least expect it. I mean I'd rather have my limbs chewed off with witnesses around rather than alone."

"That's true." Steiner agreed. Thank you! The slight elation from having him agree with me made ignoring Freya's glare easier to bear. "But upon observing the area, our route is divided into two parts, one where the massive branches of the trees and vines make a walkable platform, and the second being downwards towards the small river." His explanation of having a group on each route would make it easier to sweep the area for the story parts is definitely better than sticking together and doubling our time to search. Okay, fine. That I can accept.

So with Steiner's idea, we separate into two groups. Dagger takes the upper portion with me, Nero, Alyssa, and Steiner. Zidane leads Freya and Vivi down to the river. That should cut down on search time, have enough people around incase fighting breaks out, and give us more time to get to Lindblum. Not that we're supposed to be rushing there anyway, but it'll give us a good view of the eidolon (which my mind can't remember the name of) acting as a giant vacuum in Lindblum.

Dagger is at the front of our formation with Steiner close at her side. Both Alyssa and I are behind them, a few good feet of distance between us and them. There was something about that whole conversation with Ramuh that felt...different.

"Something isn't right about this." I whispered to Alyssa after I placed Nero into his personal seat in my sling. I was able to walk by myself thanks to the potion she gave me. Now I don't have to burden her shoulder with my dead weight.

She turned to me and pressed a finger against my shoulder. "First of all, you're not walking, you're limping. Second, I don't mind if I have to carry you again. I just want to make sure you're not overexerting yourself."

"God gave me legs to walk on. It'll be a shame if I don't use them, even though it's a bit painful to move. I'll live though." And again, as if the world was proving that it was against me, my foot pressed on the ground and found it to be looser than the rest, giving away enough for me to trip. The landing on my front wasn't good. Thankfully Nero was able to jump out of my sling before he could get squashed. "Ow…"

The others heard my fall and helped me up despite my protests. Dagger tried to heal me again, but once again it only felt comforting for a moment before the pain went back. "Alyssa, perhaps it would make everyone feel better that you help Blake walk."

She nodded before turning to me. "No arguing this time. Princess' orders."

I could only sigh as she lifted my left arm and placed it around her shoulder. If that wasn't bad enough, she also put her arm around my waist. The proximity was unnecessary, but I'd have to grudgingly agree with Dagger that it's much better than limping on my own. Now I can use someone as a crutch without being too demanding. It's the last thing I want right now, but as Alyssa said, I can't argue against the Princess and her mighty knowledge.

"Comfortable?" Okay, Alyssa's face is too close. I had to snap my face forwards before something else happens.

"Y-Yeah," was all I can manage without making eye contact. I feel her nod as she lets me take the lead, taking the first step so she can match my speed and pace.

We walk through Pinnacle Rocks in a comfortable silence for a while. It's nice to be back with the others again, above ground and not behind bars. I'd rather camp out here than sleep in Alexandria's dungeon again. Those memories are something I want to forget. By far they are the worst of my time here in Gaia. Like I'd pick running around and cheating in the Festival of the Hunt or fighting Black Waltz No.3 (both times) than being tortured.

I'm just thankful to be free and with familiar people again.

"Aw...I miss you too, Blake. I'm glad that you're not too badly hurt." I heard Alyssa whisper, patting my waist as she continued to help me walk. 'Not too badly hurt' is a definite understatement as proven by the wounds on my back. I really need help with the whole talking when I shouldn't be talking thing. Perhaps I should visit a therapist or a hypnotist. One of my classmates is an aspiring hypnotist. Is it too late to get him to this world and help me out?

"Right…" I sighed. "And you didn't answer my question." I answered. When she tilted her head and tried to think about what I had asked her, I just pointed at Dagger and remembered to keep my voice low. "That whole conversation Dagger had with Ramuh! Something was missing…"

"I...uh...missing parts?" The girl with the sword repeated. I sighed. Either she doesn't know what I'm talking about or maybe that soldier hit me so hard that part of my brain didn't register some parts of the conversation. Did the technology around here allow for brain scans? I don't really want to walk around with the possibility of me suffering from brain damage. "You think Ramuh skipped over something important?"

"Of course that's what I think. I wouldn't bring it up if it was irrelevant." Ramuh had to briefly explain what eidolons are because Dagger and the player of the game don't even know she can summon. Sure the menu is there, but its importance only comes up when one is used to destroy Cleyra.

...That was it!

"He didn't bring up the how one of her eidolons destroyed Cleyra! That's what was missing." I fistpumped when I figured it out. I briefly saw Alyssa's eyebrows furrow before she turned away.

"Maybe she figured it out and Ramuh felt it was information already known to her…" The girl suggested. Her tone sounded a bit nervous. I guess she's wondering about it too. Can an eidolon not connected to a summoner read their minds like that? Perhaps not direct mind reading abilities, but instead felt the aura around us? I shake my head to get those questions out of my head. I can just ask the spirit later. For now, just focus on paying attention to the area in case monsters attack. "Well, that's one way to get answers."

Dagger stopped us as she found one of Ramuh's apparitions. While she is trying to get the first part of the story, we all stood guard in case a monster shows up. I stayed close to Alyssa's side for my own protection. And speaking of protection, my brain causes me to remember something Alyssa had done while we were trying to escape the castle. So I ask her about that magic wall she made appear.

"Oh, that! Well, those barriers started coming out around the time Beatrix beat us into the ground at Burmecia." She told me, demonstrating by making one come out in front of us. I touched it and felt it resisting against my hand. "And I can only make them appear because of this necklace."

She showed me the necklace around her neck. It's not worth anyone's attention at first glance, except for the purple jewel hanging of it. It's as big as my thumb and had a decently attractive design around it. Aside from that, it's what a guy would give their girlfriend for their first month anniversary at the last minute.

Alyssa pouted and crossed her arms as the barrier disappeared. "You make it sound like a cheap gift. Anyway, remember that monster breaking out of the parade before the Festival of the Hunt? The old lady I saved gave this to me as thanks. I just thought it was a regular necklace. Turns out it wasn't. It still needs some getting used to though."

I hummed, putting my hand under my chin as I thought about what she said. It seems suspicious she got a thing like that as thanks. But at least she has something she can use in battle instead of just swinging a sword. Everyone has something special they can do in fights anyway. We might as well have our own thing that can be useful during battle, aside from knowing the future of this world.

"How about you? How did you get that light chain thing you did?" Her question breaks me out of my thoughts.

"Just recently, while we were fighting off the third Black Waltz." It would have been more satisfying if the Black Waltz was more coherent during that time instead of the broken one we fought. Those green eyes still give me shivers though.

"So what does it do?"

I examine the bracer on my left hand. "I haven't done much usage of this thing's abilities to discern what I can and can't do with it. From what I've done before, I can put chains around something to disable them and pull myself towards a target. The latter still felt like an accident though. Needs to be tested more. Oh, and I used it to lock a door. Think police tape over the door, but can't be moved. Now I need to try that more."

We stopped talking for a moment to see Ramuh disappearing. Dagger recited the part of the story she got, which sounded like it was somewhere in the middle. With one part down (though we don't know how many the others have) we started moving again to look for the other parts.

"We might have time later for some practice when Dagger's putting together her story." She suggested when I tried testing out my power. I nod in agreement. The more I know what this can do, the more I'll be comfortable using it.

Dagger turns to us and points to the tree ahead, saying she saw a glimmer of a silhouette there, potentially spotting another piece of Ramuh there. She ran ahead with Steiner right behind her, telling her to be careful, while Alyssa and I took our time. The swordswoman leans closer to me as we follow the two Alexandrians. "Weird that we both found out what these things can do in boss fights."

"Caught me by surprise too." I can clearly imagine the dumb face I had when it happened first. "What's odd is that it's the same as yours, being tied to a worn accessory. Would have been useful during the hunt too."

"Where did you get—"

Oh yeah, the Festival of the Hunt. One of the things mentioned in my interrogation was that I came close to being the winner of that event. "Oh yeah, I found out I was in the top five! Do I get a prize for that amount of effort?"

"Unfortunately, the Festival of the Hunt only rewards the hunter with the highest points. No second or third prizes." Steiner overheard my exclamation and provided some knowledge about the event. My shoulders sag at his words though. Maybe a paper that says 'You Tried' might have been too much for them to supply the others in the top ten.

"Hold on, when did you even get this thing anyway?" Alyssa lifts my new bracer, examining it closely, before my brain could stray from the main conversation.

"Right after the Festival, after our last conversation. We talked about what happened in the Festival, what we're doing next, and about that person I told you about…"

It only took me that far for my brain to make the connection. Meguro had given me the bracer before giving me that opportunity regarding Dagger. Alyssa got that necklace of hers from an old woman. What does Meguro look like?

An old woman.

I stare at the necklace in disbelief. She made contact with Alyssa. This is the first time, right? Alyssa would say something if that is not the case. What makes this a weirder case is that Meguro told me not to tell anyone about her and she only dismissed wish when I broke it after the Festival. Now Alyssa is telling me she talked with her before that happened. So she broke her own wish?

Then what has she said to her? From the few times I've exchanged words with her, if she wasn't being vague she would be offering me ideas and possible solutions to go home. Did she tell her of the ways she could get her back to Earth, similar to the ones she told me? She would have gotten many opportunities between the lunch at Lindblum to my rescue at Alexandria. What if she's still considering doing what she asked of her?

"Blake? You look like you've seen a ghost." Alyssa gave my arm a squeeze as she spoke softly. I look up to her, trying to find the right question. Her eyes were urging me to tell her what was wrong.

"Tell me, did that old lady say anything particularly odd?"

Her eyebrows grind almost close together at the question. It wasn't a weird question, but the grave tone I took made her pause. It made her look away for a second, confusion clearly written all over her face.

"Not really. All she told me is that this necklace was from an old friend of hers that she helped out and that she's only maintaining some kind of tradition by giving it to me." I pushed for her to describe this old lady she saved. "I don't really remember much of her appearance. She could move far more than any regular elderly person, that's for sure. And she had this ragged cloak!"

Great... Not much confirmation about where her necklace came from. I still can't shake the feeling that this could not be a mere coincidence even if she's not sure it's the same person I'm thinking about. Still it would be better to warn her just in case. I motioned for her to get closer to make sure Dagger and Steiner can't hear us.

"Remember what we talked about in Lindblum? The part about someone knows about us? I'm certain that the person that gave us these things and the person I talked about are the same person. Did she say anything else? Did you have a second or third conversation with her?"

"No. That was the first and last time I talked to someone like her." Despite the confusion, she shakes her head and keeps her voice low. She then gives me a curious glance. "How many times have you talked with her?"

"Five? A handful? I'm not sure. I didn't really keep count." Though it did feel like more than just five.

Meguro must have a reason in mind when she gave us these things. Did she personally feel sorry for us for dragging us into this world with nothing? I mean, I would too, but she could have just told us that these items have special powers instead of not mentioning them. Or perhaps she had an ulterior motive…

"What if she gave us these things to monitor us? There's probably a hidden camera in here." I scanned the bracer for any suspicious indentations. Inside, outside, on the side. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Except… "What if she enchanted our items so she can watch us from a distance…? Hey Dagger!" The princess turned briefly at us, finally done with memorizing the second part she got from the eidolon. "Do you happen to know a spell that watches over items? Or have you read about something similar in your books?"

"I can heal wounds, Blake, not curse various items." Her voice was so disappointed in answering that I thought I had offended her. She didn't say anything about it, but it did get Steiner's attention.

"That's a particularly specific and odd question. You simply cannot think of a question like that without an explanation." The knight said.

And now I can finally use the age old question. "Ever feel like you're being watched?"

They both gave me strange looks, which were expected after hearing that kind of question. I might be a bit paranoid, but since I knew Meguro could be anywhere close by at any moment, I might as well figure out how she's keeping tabs on me. It can't hurt be paranoid when you don't belong in the world you're in and when you're carrying a dangerous secret. All Alyssa could do is shake her head until Dagger and Steiner put their attention back to finding the third part of Ramuh's story.

Zidane's voice echoes from the river, grabbing the princess' attention. Apparently, they found three parts of the story in their route. Since there was no specific meeting place for the conclusion of this riddle, Dagger told them to meet us ahead where both our routes converge.

Before we had moved from our spot, Steiner stood still for a few moments, getting everyone to stop as well and ask what was going on with him. His eyes darted above, his sword hand already at the hilt of his blade before any of us could react when we heard screeching in the air. A group of bats swooped down on us, but thankfully Steiner had taken position beside the princess, and in the process cutting down the one that got nearest to her while the others tried to regroup in the branches of the trees around us.

A different group of Seeker Bats came out from our blind spot to avenge their fallen comrades. However, they didn't last long when fire exploded right in front of them. It took out majority of them, the burnt out monsters falling to the ground like barbeque'd flies, while the others were swatted out of the air by Freya, who joined them in the air and killed them with a few swings of her spear. She landed gracefully in front of us, and she probably took a class of hero landings while training to be a dragon knight because she executed a picture perfect landing.

"We should hurry to some cover ahead in case more of them show up." She told us, pointing to some low branches from a fallen tree up ahead. We all nodded in agreement before she hopped down to join Zidane and Vivi.

After jogging over to the pointed out tree, we took a minute for Zidane to share the story parts his group had obtained. Even Steiner and Freya listened to them in case they needed different perspectives for Dagger's riddle. I, on the other hand, made sure Nero wasn't hungry or if he needs to walk around. They didn't really need me to figure out how to solve that riddle. Alyssa and Vivi were busy doing their own thing. The former checking her inventory and the latter…

Well, the latter had taken a seat by the tree, was being quiet as he stared into his gloved hands. Not that that's wrong or anything. We all need our time for ourselves. He's just so quiet after what's happened. I internally shrug, thinking that Vivi might just want to have some time alone to calm down after what has happened recently.

Since nothing was happening at the moment, I tried to make use of it by practicing with my magic chains.

The mere thought makes the bracer glow. As it prepared to be used, wrapping around the bracer and one set of links going around my hand, I tried to think of other ways to apply these things. I can bind enemies and makes them vulnerable and use it as a type of grapping hook. I've only gotten pulled towards a target and the other way around has yet to be tested. Due to the latter being more of an accident, I tried to make it happen in a safer way. Looking up, I see a branch from the tall tree that Freya could get to for a vantage point. That should be able to hold my weight, right?

I raise my left hand and aim at the branch. The bracer shoots links of light upwards and hit my target, wrapping around it securely. After testing that the branch won't give away by pulling at it a bunch of times, I try to think of a way to will the chains to get me up there. Though I do worry that I'll just shoot upwards and hit the branch and fall down. That would certainly hurt and probably kill me. Do I internally focus on being pulled slowly or make a chant?

As if hearing my wish, I start feeling the chains tugging at me. It's a steady pace but eventually I feel like being lifted off my feet; I even start swinging my feet just to make sure I was actually being pulled up, hitting nothing but air. Nero was tweeting at me as I ascended and he caught the attention of the others.

"Skylark, what do you think you're doing?" Steiner marches over and tries to grab my foot, but I had already gotten high enough for his stubby arms to miss his timing. The rest of the group looked up as well with varying levels of concern. Alyssa and Dagger immediately come to Steiner's side while Zidane looked up from where he was and was ready to act if something where to happen. Freya was nowhere to be seen while Vivi looked up from his seat.

"Just practicing my abilities! Don't mind me. Keep doing what you're doing." I say while waving down at them. Okay, maybe I should start going down. Did not mean to cause a ruckus and distract the others.

But apparently the thought of going down was interpreted as a sudden fall instead of the slow pace I have going up. Imagine the look of dread I had when the chains vanished into wisps of light. And then gravity remembered me.

"Oh no..." Before I could even shout, I was already falling. The thought of my back absorbing the impact made my brain wince so hard I thought I had already hit the ground. When I stopped falling I thought that had happened. But instead, I hear someone clear their throat. Looking up I see Steiner looking down at me. "Uh…thanks for catching me."

"Next time be sure to practice with appropriate supervision." He tells me as he lets me down on my feet. Why does he have to say that like I'm a child? "You're lucky you didn't fall that high and that you're lighter than a regular man."

"Thanks?" Not sure if that's supposed to be an insult or an actual compliment. Consider me lucky then. "I guess I'll just sit down then."

The knight approves of my chosen activity, but decides to stick close in case I have another stupid idea. Good thinking too. Nero joins me as I take a seat beside Vivi. With all of the excitement I had incited now gone, everyone is back to what they were doing before. Figuring out Ramuh's riddle and item management. That should be enough practice too. Vivi's still quiet though. All that excitement didn't even get him to budge. No offense taken though. Perhaps Vivi needs someone to distract him from the growing existentialism he's having.

"Not sure if you're aware, but staring at your own hands is either a sign of deep thought or a medically-induced altered state." He looked up at me curiously with those bright yellow eyes of his. "How are you holding up?"

"I…don't know." Vivi answered as I sat beside him, his gaze going to his feet. "It's been pretty hectic."

"Tell me about it." I lean back on my seat and press my back against the tree. Bad idea! I immediately pull away. "We should get some down time after getting back to civilization. Some peace and quiet would be nice."

The young mage nodded. When he didn't say anything, I didn't think much of it since he might be tired. All that magic casting he's done from Cleyra to now must've tired him out. Give him time to clear his mind and such. I'd use my quiet time to think about what possible reasons Meguro had in mind on why she gave me this arm guard without explaining its uses and how it can be possibly used to track me-

"Did you find out anything about the black mages?" Vivi's sudden choice of words made me look over at him. Seeing him look so tired that his yellow eyes become somewhat faded compared to the last time I saw him felt weird. How long was it that he took some time for himself?

But then I guess it would be hard for someone like him to relax when there are dolls that look like him wandering around and following orders like mindless weapons. Just like how they are supposed to function.

"We didn't really get to sit down and talk with Queen Brahne about them." I responded. That made him silently sigh, which was evident with how his shoulders went up and down like one would when they are disappointed. "Bothers you that much, huh?"

"Seeing what they've done to the people in Burmecia…" He stops as he shakes his head before saying something else. "The mages we saw in the cargo ship confused me. Seeing what the third Black Waltz do to them made me angry. But seeing them hurt other people...It just doesn't make any sense…"

"Morality is a weird thing," I tried to briefly explain with after a long breath. "And war doesn't have to make sense for us. The bigger picture of it all matters to the person at the top, the ones in charge. We're either trying to get out of dodge or fight for what we believe in."

"It just...scares me that those...mages that looked like me hurt so many people. Burmecia, Cleyra...now who knows what next? Don't they think it's wrong?"

"Well, one issue with that is they probably don't think. That's why they don't know what they're doing is wrong. But you," I tapped him on the shoulder. "You're different than them."

"Different?"

I leaned on my knees so I could look him in the eye as I listed what made him so different. "Yeah. Your vocabulary has more words than just 'KILL', you use spells creatively when you team up with Steiner, and you can think on your own. Hell, you look different than them with your blue jacket here. You stand out in a crowd of black mages. More distinct than any of them."

Vivi looked at himself as I mentioned what I thought made him him. Being different is fine. It's what makes the individual anyway. Sure some people like copying other people because they look cool or that they're great role models, but they still can't avoid putting their own spin on it because you can't avoid being yourself while being someone else. Unless you're a robot that can download any personality.

"Robot…?" I look up, seeing Vivi staring at me, and curse myself for letting my mouth talk while my mind wandered.

"Point is, I wouldn't worry about looking like them or being similar to them, Vivi. I'd worry more if you were doing the same thing as them." I pat him on the shoulder, hoping that it would be enough of a confidence boost.

"Thanks." From how his eyes still have this faded glow to them, it seems like he's still bothered by something, but he nodded nonetheless.

"I'm sure we'll find some answers about those other black mages. Until then, let's try to get to safety first." I stand up to make sure I could still move properly. Don't want my back and my joints to suddenly freeze up just because I stopped moving for a little while.

While stretching and feeling my back ache, I notice that Dagger had separated herself from the others. She was now standing across from the tree, where it looked like the bark and vines separated into an exit. I could see the faint image of Ramuh in his elderly form in front of her, nodding at the girl's words. Steiner had proceeded to stand guard near her. Freya is still nowhere in sight for some reason. Zidane and Alyssa, however…

They were talking. Nothing wrong there. But with the way they were talking so close to each other and how serious they both look and so quietly conversing with one another, the river we had just ran past seemed louder now than their conversation, made a part of my brain get suspicious. You either talk like that if you're exchanging secrets or talking about someone else.

They could be talking about Dagger and the test she's taking or could be talking about something that happened in Alexandria. If it's the latter, it could be about that Inoire guy. If it's the former, they could just be wondering what the Hero's Story is all about aside from being about a 'hero'. Still they don't need to be talking like that. It feels like they could be talking about something else...

"I would not frown like that if I were you." I didn't expect the dragon knight to land in front of me, causing me to stumble back to where I was seated a few seconds ago. "I could see your eyebrows criss-crossing from way up there." She pointed to some branch way up high above us that. I honestly couldn't really discern where she was pointing at, but I felt it's really irrelevant.

"Wh-what do you want?" I asked, my attempt to be unaffected by her surprise landing being unsuccessful.

"Was merely observing from above. There doesn't seem to be any more bats that want to attack us." Freya told me while taking a brief glance to the trees above. While that's good and all, I don't see why that merits a visit from her. "Though I did notice some tension on your shoulders while I was up there. Is there anything that distresses you?"

"Nothing really worth talking about." Not with you anyway.

The woman in red hummed thoughtfully. "I would like to ask a question about Alyssa."

Now that catches my attention. Do I look like an expert on her? And why not ask her directly instead of me? She looked intent on getting an answer from me though. "What do you want to know?"

"There was something she mentioned during our struggle in Cleyra, about one of our enemies. The man with the gun." I stayed silent when she mentioned that guy. I haven't had any experience dealing with that guy until our escape and his lousy pot shots at us. And from the looks of it, he's been bothering the others since Alyssa and I separated at Lindblum. Since I don't know much of him from personal experience, I really doubt I can say anything helpful. Freya took my silence as a sign to say add more information. "I would like to know if you have any experience regarding that weapon. Either using it or being attacked with it."

"Using it? None." Any experience I have using a gun is either in a first-person or third-person shooter videogame. I'm also sure that if I found a gun on the floor right now I would not be qualified to use it. I don't need another busted wrist or a bruised rib for mishandling a gun. "Being attacked by someone using it? Never happened to me until now."

She hummed again. Why does she need to know this again? "Just pondering about something she had mentioned to me."

"Next time, just ask her. She's standing right there and she should be okay with some minor interruptions."

"Perhaps your own advice is too good to heed?" Underneath that hat and that pale hair of hers, I could feel some hint of a smirk aimed at me. Are you throwing shade at me?

"To be fair, that's common sense. If you've been around on our way to Lindblum, you would know that I barely use it in times of great danger." I nod over to the rest of our group. "They all know about it."

"Lack of common sense is not something one should brag about. I would hazard a guess that it's why you have that sling and that chip on your shoulder?" Excuse me? "From what I've observed of you, there is this aura of passive-aggressiveness around you. Sometimes you make it obvious, other times you mutter disparaging remarks under your breath. Anyone from the Burmecian military could sniff you out in a crowd any day of the week."

No comment on the passive-aggression, making it clear when I turned away and crossed my arms. So what? I just can't help it sometimes if it slips out. It gets me elbowed in the side and glared at when someone hears me. Just a force of habit I never thought could be a problem until now.

"Going back to what Alyssa had mentioned to me, something about it doesn't make sense to me." She taps the ground with her spear, thinking to herself about whatever they had talked about, before giving me another glance. "I'm sure she has already mentioned it to you before. You two are friends, correct?"

"Long time." I answered, thinking of the back stories we had agreed on. "We've known each other for as long as I can remember, but I'm not physically present in most of her life. You could be talking about a number of things though. Embarrassing stuff, sad stuff, happy stuff."

"She previously told me about the reason why she lives with her grandmother."

So sad stuff then. I turned away slightly to hide the frown that went up on my face. When she told me about that she did it because she wanted me to trust her. It's a very personal part of her life, so I can understand why she doesn't share it often. For her to mention it to Freya must have been an important choice for her to make. Or she was pressured into it…

"Even if she did mention it to you, I don't think it's my duty to tell you all the details that I know." I told her softly. "If that's all she told you then leave it at that. She can tell you when she's ready."

Freya nodded. "Understood. But I was actually looking for your insight."

I sigh. She really wants to get some information. I could just say nothing and let Alyssa deal with her questions. The girl's been through enough for this day and having someone dig through their history is going to add more stress to it. I finally relented, nodding for her to continue and letting her go forward with what she wants to ask.

She then proceeded to explain what led her to asking about this when she noticed Alyssa would freeze up every time they hear a gunshot. Hard not to do that actually. When we hear one, that's usually a signal to hit the floor. It is even worse for Alyssa since she has trauma with a gun-related incident. Then she tells me they talked about it briefly, only touching up on her past, to which Freya understood and didn't pry. Which leads to her question…

"I do wonder how such a deadly weapon has gone unnoticed from her childhood until now." That soft taping of her spear on the ground felt like a clock counting down to something horrible that's about to happen. But I kept my guard up in case something did while focusing on her. "Ever since I traveled the world in search of Sir Fratley, I should have heard about this 'gun'. Variations of this weapon should have spread already and armies should be using something so effective and deadly from what I've seen in the few skirmishes against that man. But why is it so rare to see be used and even rarer to hear about?"

That begs the question of where did this guy come from? Is it possible that he's actually from this world, but provided with powerful weapons, or is he like Alyssa and I? We can only know if we demand from the source himself. Until then, I have to cover our tracks.

"Who knows actually? Even I haven't heard about these guns after the attack on Alyssa's family. Maybe her family's attacker gave it away when they were caught or kept it hidden somewhere. It could be a new prototype. The less I heard about them, the better it was for everyone." I shrugged as I detailed my own 'theories'. They wouldn't really convince her that I don't really know. That's not my play here though. I got closer so only she can hear my next sentences. "But isn't it weird that the Queen of Alexandria is suddenly getting these black mages from her mysterious weapons dealer? No one knows where he came from and he's happy to help with the Queen's bid for power. And now she has someone with a deadly weapon that's faster and deadlier than magic like that now after so much time has passed, especially in a time where war could happen. That's too much of a coincidence for me."

She gave my words some serious thought if the grave hum she made was any indication. I waited in bated breath if she has any follow-up inquiries about the whole thing. Anything she had in mind had to take a back seat when the figure of Ramuh became much clearer over Dagger.

Everyone in the vicinity turned when a thunderclap caught all of us by surprise, all except Dagger it seems. The ghostly old man had once again turned to his superior and threatening form as he presented Dagger with something. A small object floated down from the eidolon's hand down to Dagger's gloved ones and accepted it gracefully, bowing and thanking the spirit.

Ramuh then turned to us as his body started to disappear. "Protect my summoner from danger. Her eidolons have already been taken away from her once. It would be preferred if a second time does not occur."

"Such a thing will not happen!" Steiner declared, saluting the spirit.

"Not when we're around." Zidane added, standing beside the knight and the princess proudly.

"We'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening again." Alyssa finished.

"Yes, having helpful friends will do you nicely." Ramuh commented, a heavy chuckle reverberating under his beard. Once that had died down, he swept his arm over all of us. "I believe that with all of you by her side she may be able to do some good for the world. She is still young, but there is room for growth...So I chose her as my master."

"I am honored." Dagger bowed when she heard Ramuh's words.

"I will be watching over her." The Thunder God stated, looking at each and every single one of us.

It felt like this mighty being was acknowledging us for our bravery to stand with her against the threat of other eidolons being used for evil purposes. But when his eyes crossed mine, I felt glued to where I had stood, that his gaze was so intense that I thought he was trying to convey something to me. When I saw how his forehead creased, how his eyes seemed to darken in that single second he looked at me. That was when I realized he is trying to send a message.

It felt like a warning.

"I hope the rest of you protect her from any harm of this world...and those from outside it." His last words cinched it for me.

He knew. The eidolon knew!

As Ramuh started to disappear, the moment everyone started move I felt my brain start to function again. It was too late to register the hand on my shoulder. I would have jumped if I wasn't shocked. What didn't surprise me is that it was Alyssa who went to my side. Her hand touched my elbow.

"Did you feel that?" I heard her whisper, the worry in her voice made it worse for me. I only nodded as I tried to shake it off. Of course, it was not as easy as it sounds when I could feel my heart beating so fast that I thought I was just caught in a crime scene with the murder weapon in my hand and the victim's blood all over me.

"What did he mean by that last part?" I heard Vivi ask the others. He received various answers like 'Maybe he's just covering his bases' (Zidane) to 'An ominous warning' (Steiner). I gulped, hoping they didn't hear my nervousness, hoping they didn't connect the dots. I didn't move until I felt Nero's beak poke at me multiple times. My hand unconsciously went to pet the little thing, the feeling of its growing feathers under my hand and between my fingers felt comforting at the moment. Even Alyssa's hand on my shoulder helped my nerves.

"We should go. It should not take us long to get to Lindblum." Dagger told everyone as she is the first to use the narrow path leading outside Pinnacle Rocks. Steiner followed her wordlessly with Vivi and Freya going after them.

"C'mon guys, you don't want to get left behind." Zidane waved us over before going through the exit. Alyssa and I shared a look, clearly both of us having the worst internal reaction to the eidolon's voice. What's surprising is that nobody noticed from how everyone acted afterwards.

No, someone must have. There's five of them aside from us and none of them noticing would either be the biggest coincidence or the universe giving us a lucky break. I simply can't feel relieved after what Ramuh said. He basically gave us away! And for what!? I don't feel safe anymore now that we have a summon spirit that basically winked at me and I don't even know how he knows!

I took a few breaths to calm my nerves, my hand still running through Nero's feathers as a supplementary calming method, while Alyssa waited and paced patiently. She's taking it fairly well compared to the pseudo-panic attack I was having. Thankfully, no one else was there to see this.

Eventually, Alyssa stopped and took me by the shoulder. "We have to move. The others might suspect something if we don't join them now."

"Aren't you bothered by what just happened!?" I asked her, unable to help the panic in my voice. "An eidolon just sent us a warning! And we haven't done anything-"

"It's scary, I know. But after what we've been through recently, that is the least important thing we have to worry about." She told me, her hand finding its place on my left forearm. "We have a guy with a gun on the loose, a woman with an agenda following us, and a man more mysterious than Kuja after us. We have to worry about them more than just an eidolon's words we could interpret in many ways."

"And I'm sorely worried about the one way it could be interpreted that points us out!" I hissed.

"Then don't worry about it for now!" Her hold on my forearm got tighter, noticeable but not unbearable. "I want to believe Ramuh's warning is about something else, that maybe he meant that there are more people like us out there, just so we're aware of it." She briefly turns away to see if Zidane or the others went back to come and get us. When she found no one waiting, she urged me to follow after the thief. "Just...focus on getting to Lindblum. We can talk about it later."

"Y-Yeah…" It would be better to talk about it in relative privacy. Even if Lindblum Grand Castle gets attacked and is filled with Alexandrian soldiers, I'm sure we can find somewhere private to think and talk about this. Maybe on the way there I can clear my head.

Going through the narrow pathway with a clearly distracted brain presented some difficulties, but it was nothing compared to being forced to climb down a tree to get to the ground, where a path down gave us a clear route to Lindblum. I nearly bit the dust when I forced myself to climb down, injured arm and chocobo in my sling and all, but thanks to Freya's quickness, she was able to grab me out of the air and safely put me on solid ground. Alyssa, however, still had to climb down on her own.

Everyone was in a rush to get to Lindblum, jogging towards the city we could see just beside the mountain. Ramuh's words still repeated in my mind, everything around me felt unimportant as I tried to think of various reasons and excuses why it had bothered me so much that Alyssa was basically dragging me along behind everyone else. It affected me so much that I missed the signs that something else was wrong, that I had focused on part of the bigger picture that I didn't notice another significant part of it.

Perhaps it was the time of day that didn't give it away. It was too bright out when we emerged from the Gargan Roo, so it must've been during the day that our prison break happened. It should be overcast, that there should be this helpless feeling in the air. Now it didn't have that. In fact, the sun shined on Lindblum as if it was a waypoint to be followed, a safe haven, even though I know it would be unwise to go there right now.

But our group kept going towards the city. I tried to stop Alyssa from dragging me too close to Lindblum, and when she saw me point to the sky, she looked at me with confusion. We were too close to the others for me to specifically say what I wanted to explain, but I pointed to the sky again and the direction where the Red Rose was supposed to be appear any second now, where Queen Brahne would be contently sitting with another stone containing an eidolon she stole from Dagger, one that would suck up parts of the city and leave it vulnerable for her attack force.

Only for the Red Rose to not appear. I looked over to where I was pointing and felt my anxiety rise even further. There was no sign of the Red Rose in the sky or anywhere near us.

I blinked, thinking that all of the punishment I've been through was starting to affect my eyes or my brain, only for the ship to still be absent. I rubbed my eyes, yet it did nothing but make my eyes blur for a bit for nothing.

Brahne's ship...it was not there. The Red Rose is supposed to be here to oversee the damage her eidolon is supposed to do to Lindblum. Her forces would then come in and stomp through the city and take control. Why isn't the first part happening? Did we finish Ramuh's test too fast?

The closer we got to the gate, everyone else seemed to be elated to be closer to safety. Only Alyssa and I felt different about it all. She looked shocked, doing double takes at me and the sky, as if she finally realized what I was trying to point out earlier. I couldn't share the happiness of the others because it felt wrong, because this is not supposed to happen.

A pair of guards saw us running, hearing Zidane and Dagger's shouts and cries, and opened the gates as quickly as they could for us without giving any space for any monster that might appear behind us. They closed them the moment I, the last one of our group, crossed past it and locked it secured behind me.

Even with the gates closed, I felt like I had just run deeper into the lion's den. This city is supposed to be sitting in ruin by now with wounded guards and soldiers, black mages and Alexandrian soldiers patrolling the streets for anyone rebelling or causing trouble, and the rest of the city's population shaking in fear. Now that is not the case.

Just what is going on here!?


End file.
